"Become what thou art!"

In My Humble Opinion
1

“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?

2

coberst, shut the fuck up already.

3

coberst, I think that your (lately discovered?) gift of obfuscating simple concepts is wondrous to behold.

I believe that the gist of your OP is “It’s nice to have the free time to do some self-exploration. When you try new things, you learn things about yourself that you didn’t know. You find that you have previously undiscovered or unnurtured skills and talents. I think that everyone should take the time to break out of their ruts and learn something just for the sheer pleasure of it. Have you done so lately? And if so, what have you learned about yourself?”

Back away from the pseudointellectual psychobabble, my friend. It’s actually an interesting and worthwhile question, and you’re much more likely to get interesting and worthwhile answers if people don’t get bored and frustrated halfway through your post.

4

I don’t think you have given the matter sufficient thought.

5

Perhaps you could set an example by giving a little thought to **Twickster’s ** point?

6

Here is the Cliffs Notes version – since obviously you have a hard time reading and comprehending ongoing commentary. (I was going to say “other than your own,” but come to think of it my point seems to be more along the lines of “including your own.”)

7

I’m pretty sure this is some kind of performance art that our friend coberst is bestowing upon us. I mean, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with posting the same thing all over the internet, but there’s something experimental about the way these threads are posted and attended to by their OP.

8

What is Twickster’s point?

9

If you read her post and didn’t get it, I don’t know what else to tell you. Perhaps if you ran it through a thesaurus?