Friday, November 11, 2005
Opting In to Society
Thanks so much for all of your comments and thoughts about my question, "How can we give all gifted people acceptance and meaningful work in modern western society?" Many good points raised, and good practical strategies on fitting in while still giving your best.
My own answer to the question is simple yet has many layers, like an onion; tell the old tales. Give them freely to all our children and the adults who haven't heard them. These stories contain ancient wisdom that operates on many levels, entertaining us, providing the community with common reference points, then hiberating in our psyches until the self is ready to hear the deeper messages. They are like innoculations against losing that self. Most importantly, they provide internal fuel to sustain a person as they step out on their hero's journey, a model and a guide to help them find and use the treasure inside. Then their work and their role will be meaningful, no matter what it is.
The question really arose from reading the myths and stories that so often contain wise characters that are a bit strange and on the fringes of society, like wizards or fairy godmothers. The coach in me relates to these witchy types, because they challenge characters to connect with their own power. These tales from traditional societies usually emphasize the interdependence of all life and the importance of self within the context of a family and a community. A great gift to give anyone this holiday season!
Technorati tags: gifted career story
My own answer to the question is simple yet has many layers, like an onion; tell the old tales. Give them freely to all our children and the adults who haven't heard them. These stories contain ancient wisdom that operates on many levels, entertaining us, providing the community with common reference points, then hiberating in our psyches until the self is ready to hear the deeper messages. They are like innoculations against losing that self. Most importantly, they provide internal fuel to sustain a person as they step out on their hero's journey, a model and a guide to help them find and use the treasure inside. Then their work and their role will be meaningful, no matter what it is.
The question really arose from reading the myths and stories that so often contain wise characters that are a bit strange and on the fringes of society, like wizards or fairy godmothers. The coach in me relates to these witchy types, because they challenge characters to connect with their own power. These tales from traditional societies usually emphasize the interdependence of all life and the importance of self within the context of a family and a community. A great gift to give anyone this holiday season!
Technorati tags: gifted career story
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Oh geez..spam even with word verification. That is really depressing. It hasn't happened to me yet but obviously, it is just a matter of time.
My family has always been into mythology and both our soons received numerous books of that sort before their tenth birthday. The result was a 10-year-old who wrote an epic poem, based on The Odyssey, which he submitted for a class assignment. The teacher seemed to appreciate his effort much more once the 10-year-old explained to her what an epic poem was :-)
My family has always been into mythology and both our soons received numerous books of that sort before their tenth birthday. The result was a 10-year-old who wrote an epic poem, based on The Odyssey, which he submitted for a class assignment. The teacher seemed to appreciate his effort much more once the 10-year-old explained to her what an epic poem was :-)
I meant to point you to the blog of that epic poem writer and avid turtle fanatic.
http://turtlesrus.blogspot.com
http://turtlesrus.blogspot.com
I wonder about this idea. It is like reading any English children's book. There is a child who is mistreated. Something magical happens, then they are the heroes. The personal responsibility is lost. You are personally responsible for your own life. Wouldn't tend to lend itself more procrastination? They would be waiting for the "magical" event. (There should be some existential feeling be it a belief in magic, faith in God or a feeling they are part of a greater whole.)
Social skills aren’t given to you from a book. They come from interaction. Alternative suggestion, have them find their favorite (positive) movie character. You seem to like Shreik. What personality traits does he display that causes you to find him appealing? Spend the next ten minutes emulating only those characteristics. (Not the voice or movements just the personality traits.) Put on a persona. Learn what it feels like to be someone else.
Bright people are usually gilded prisoners of their own heads. Letting them experience others through themselves can be an eye opening experience. Teaching them to live through the physical has always been an interesting task.
After stating that I must quote an English writer. (Laughing at my own duality.)
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” — David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
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Social skills aren’t given to you from a book. They come from interaction. Alternative suggestion, have them find their favorite (positive) movie character. You seem to like Shreik. What personality traits does he display that causes you to find him appealing? Spend the next ten minutes emulating only those characteristics. (Not the voice or movements just the personality traits.) Put on a persona. Learn what it feels like to be someone else.
Bright people are usually gilded prisoners of their own heads. Letting them experience others through themselves can be an eye opening experience. Teaching them to live through the physical has always been an interesting task.
After stating that I must quote an English writer. (Laughing at my own duality.)
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” — David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
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