I've been wondering why so many people have been so hesitant to talk about themselves in the Introduce Yourself post.
I'm getting a clue from Hannah's comment: "I guess if you want to know anything else, ask. I feel so forward and rude talking about myself, so I try not to drop too many tidbits."
I've touched on this before: I feel that self-effacement has really gotten out of hand on this planet. Sure, a person who does nothing but think and talk about himself is boring and open to ridicule, but it seems to me that the majority of earthlings feel like a spot on the carpet who would rather be overlooked. It is just a pity, because it is part of limiting yourself.
3 comments:
I'm afraid that if I don't pay attention and say too much, nobodoy will want to talk to me anymore. Plus, who would want to hear about me in the first place? Aren't there more interesting things to talk about?
I understand Hannah perfectly. After making you laugh (I hope!), I was almost positive I wouldn't say anything about myself. Then I thought, there are some relevant things about me that you might actually be interested in, since it was asked for. Excessive modesty can also become rude, and I feel I do it a bit too often. When I feel I don't belong in a given company. Such NOT being the case here... :-)
I owe Eolake (partly) for helping me realize, over time, the negative side of excessive self-effacement. Just like it's okay to look at beauty and nudity (under the control of sense), it's okay to accept that you're not just a disgusting stain on the carpet. Since I love saying it to others (like Wonko), it made sense to also listen to myself a bit, right? Limiting yourself is a sin against the potential the Creator put in all of us.
Why, I know a guy, whom I was pretty certain had no visible qualities for the many years I had known him. Turns out, he's a pretty good father now that he's got kids, and he has a talent (and inclination) for cooking. Everybody has potential of some sort.
Where would the world be, if budding german painter Adolf Hitler had received less harsh critics? We'll never know, but we can definitely wonder. Frustration, conscious or not, is a terrifying drive sometimes. I think it is the one motivating most islamist kamikazes... Frustration, or despair.
Where would the world be, if budding german
... make that "Austrian"...
painter Adolf Hitler had received less harsh critics? We'll never know, but we can definitely wonder.
Agreed. Unfortunately not much seems to have changed in that arena, i.e. in many places applicants are not just told that they were unsuccessful but really get a hiding for daring to apply.
Frustration, conscious or not, is a terrifying drive sometimes. I think it is the one motivating most islamist kamikazes... Frustration, or despair.
You said it.
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