"Become what thou art!"

[coberst]

"Become what thou art!"

 

I am of the opinion that we all have a number of personal resonances (talents?) that if discovered give great emphasis to our life’s satisfaction. Those individuals who discover and exploit such a personal resonance can find great self-satisfaction. If that particular resonance strikes a social resonance then the accompanying social display of appreciation can add to the personal satisfaction to the individual.

 

Few individuals discover and display a talent, a personal resonance that can truly excite public appreciation. Those who do display such a resonance are truly rewarded. However, I am not particularly interested in those few but I am interested in considering all the rest of us who have resonances (talents?) and especially all those that remain undiscovered by us.

 

It seems that society and all its institutions are focused upon making everyone of us efficient producers and consumers. Nothing prepares us for self-discovery when such discovery is not supportive of a drive to produce and consume. I think that most social pressure from birth to death is directed at the drive to make us effective producers and consumers.

 

I chose to use the word “resonance” rather than talent because I think our sense of the meaning of the word “talent” will distort the point I wish to make. “Talent” is such a ‘produce and consume’ word. In fact we have little vocabulary available when discussing what I mean.

 

At mid-life when our career ambitions dim and our family are cared for is the time that is available to us to begin to de-emphasize the world of ‘production and consumption’ and begin exploring the world of the intellect directed as an end-in-itself’. Our intellects have been so totally directed as a means to an end that we will have some difficulty thinking of knowledge, understanding, and other talents that are considered as an end-in-itself. I include talent in art and music, these are as important to the individual and to the community as are any other.

 

Our first encounter with resonance, as the word is normally used, might have been when we first discovered on the playground swing that a little energy directed in synchronization with the swing’s resonant frequency would produce outstanding movement. What a marvelous discovery. We might make similar marvelous discoveries if we decide against all that we have learned in the past; that the intellect can be used as an end-in-it-self.

 

I do not know how to focus attention on the components that make up a talent. I think that a person who understood such things could help us better comprehend the essence of this what I call resonance.

 

I think that we all could serve our self by seeking such things in our self. What do you think about this matter?

[Ananke]

If you fail to utilise your talents to their best effect, you deserve the crappy life you will lead as a result. No-one else can tell you what you excel at, it is the individuals responsibility to uncover such skills.

[cwes99_03]

Coberst, seems like you are starting a bunch of new threads all at the same time but only ananke and myself are replying so far.

 

Anyway, Ananke, you are always putting down others. Is there something in your life that makes you such a black spot?

I may never live up to the potential some people see in me. I have professors and teachers from my past who are all greatly disappointed that I have not done more, studied more, and committed myself to improving the plight of mankind via science.

 

I say too bad for them, since I am doing even more than they will ever know in my ministry work.

[coberst]

Coberst, seems like you are starting a bunch of new threads all at the same time but only ananke and myself are replying so far.

 

Yes, I have noticed that. What is your opinion as to why?

 

As for Ananke--he may be a young person who feels that being negative is being cool. If so it will pass in a few years.

[Ananke]

I dont put people down. There is no need, they do that quite adequately themselves.

 

As to why no-one is answering you, I would imagine your ponderous, over-elaborate and self-indulgently high-brow writing style may have something to do with it.

[Tarantism]

sometimes its hard to realize that we occasionaly outline the problems and forget to solve them. at least i have noticed that in the past.

 

as far as talent being discovered, coberst do you belive that if you want something bad enough in this world, especially if you have true skill at something, be it a trade or simple interactions, you can get it? im not saying that if you want money it can apparate in your hand, but there are plenty of ways you can go about getting that money, for example.

[Tarantism]

also i think maybe that talent is a "produce" and "consume" word only if you use it in that context, which we have been taught to do by sports and hollywood...as well as just in the basic capatalist economy. talent can also be intuative grasp of a concept, be it anything. maybe passed through genes? (disclaimer: i have no idea)...talent is relative, anyway.

 

interesting thread :)

[Tarantism]

that meaning that you cannot apply truth or fact to art.

[coberst]

sometimes its hard to realize that we occasionaly outline the problems and forget to solve them. at least i have noticed that in the past.

 

as far as talent being discovered, coberst do you belive that if you want something bad enough in this world, especially if you have true skill at something, be it a trade or simple interactions, you can get it? im not saying that if you want money it can apparate in your hand, but there are plenty of ways you can go about getting that money, for example.

 

I do not think I understand but I definaty would have to say no.

[Tarantism]

ok ill clarify. if i want to be a police officer, i could take steps to achieve this goal. in this case i would probably go join some police academy somewhere. in the case of an artist, one would take steps to get their art seen, or heard. does make a good explaination?

[coberst]

Tarantism

 

Means and goals--I assume you are saying that a person must first find the means to reach a specified goal. I once decided I wanted to be an engineer so first I had to spend two years in the army to get the GI Bill to go to college then I had to finish college, these were all means to reach a goal.

[Tarantism]

yes

[coberst]

yes

 

I do not know if this is an adequate response to your inquiry but;

Intellectual Acuity

 

I think that reality is multilayered like an onion. We live our life on the surface rarely penetrating the surface of reality. To seek a comprehension beyond the surface requires some kind of intellectual acuity.

 

Most people are familiar with the arts as a form of intellectual acuity but far fewer have any recognition of self-learning through books as a means of developing an intellectual acuity that can penetrate the surface reality.

 

What do you think of this opinion?

[Tarantism]

i agree. i think that society is being set up as a kind of pyramid scheme for thoughts. the only conspiracy is that old institutions of wealth and power will always try to keep new ideals and new organizations competing for that wealth and power out of power. i hope that makes sense. i also think that by keeping themselves in power, they keep ideals and ideas the way they want them. i have been saying for a while now that societies are attempting to and sucessfully filtering the creative sespool. its like a damn for thoughts. as a reactiosn to this, more and more citizens are seeing the sucess in simply eating the sustanence thought from the spoon of "big brother". for example, look how many americans live vicariously though their television sets. people are experiencing less and therefore stereotypes and fears are re-inforced and supplied by those who have experienced, those in power.

 

for those of us who have thought outside the speed limits, the world seems like a kind of cold, dark place.

 

thoughts?

[coberst]

i agree. i think that society is being set up as a kind of pyramid scheme for thoughts. the only conspiracy is that old institutions of wealth and power will always try to keep new ideals and new organizations competing for that wealth and power out of power. i hope that makes sense. i also think that by keeping themselves in power, they keep ideals and ideas the way they want them. i have been saying for a while now that societies are attempting to and sucessfully filtering the creative sespool. its like a damn for thoughts. as a reactiosn to this, more and more citizens are seeing the sucess in simply eating the sustanence thought from the spoon of "big brother". for example, look how many americans live vicariously though their television sets. people are experiencing less and therefore stereotypes and fears are re-inforced and supplied by those who have experienced, those in power.

 

for those of us who have thought outside the speed limits, the world seems like a kind of cold, dark place.

 

thoughts?

 

It appears to me that our human instincts are to dominate or to serve. I would like to suggest that we concentrate our critical skills upon seeking to focus attention upon synthesis.

 

When I read history I see primarily a dual human need exerting itself—we seem to have a two class social system; we have the few who dominate the vast subservient majority. The subservient take this roll because humans crave order and stability. Humans crave dominance and they crave order and stability. Is their a third way?

 

When we are dominating objects we are united in a common goal. Our unified goal is to dominate objects as much as possible and we have proven to be very good at it. When we try to serve both a roll as dominant and as subversive we appear to create a society that is constantly at war with it self.