Category Archives: Life Education

No One Trait Defines You — A reminder to stay grounded and holistic

March 7, 2017Staying GroundedSolomon

“So what makes you unique” on those college questionnaires and the like. Even though I’m already in college, I’ll probably have to answer such questions again in the future. The truth is, no one thing makes me unique. No one thing makes anyone unique. We are all human, we all have diverse interests and desires. We sometimes we take interest in two completely unrelated things. Sometimes we are very talented in certain areas that many are talented in. Most are talented in a few things that have no bearing on each other. Very few have an accomplishment or an experience that no one ever has before.

What makes people unique isn’t their traits, it’s how those traits combine. When my friend felt sad like a failure, I would try to cheer her up by listing her awesome talents and accomplishments in other things. However, it never felt right, and she would counter “oh, but a lot of people are good at singing. But a lot of people are good at art.” And she was right. But no one is good at singing or drawing like she is, because she has her own unique style.

People are greater than the sum of their parts. I could put together a human, piece by piece, until every part was there and it’s still wouldn’t be a person. It be a weird amalgamation of parts. But no two living humans are alike because of some indescribable way that their traits and talents and desires come together to make them “them,” to give them their style of doing things. Reducing someone down to just traits fails to capture the whole person. We all know Einstein for his genius in science, but how many know he had depression? We never really knew him at all, we just know his accomplishments.

So if you find yourself in a similar dilemma, take heart. No one trait defines you. No one trait makes you unique. You are greater than the sum of your parts. You are unique because all your traits and talents and desires and successes and failures and experiences all come together in a way that no other person has truly experienced before, or ever will again.

Then try to somehow incorporate that into your answer about maybe your favorite trait, or your most apparent or the most out there. Good luck.

by Pidgeapodge from reddit

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Life is Delicate. Life is Not Easy. Life is about Precision and Accuracy.

February 5, 2017ContextSolomon

Much like how life on Earth is only possible because the earth is in the [circumstellar] habitable zone of the solar system, your life can only exist if it is within a thin range of possibilities.

I have recently learned that when applying for a job, it is possible to be overqualified and rejected in the same way that someone is underqualified and rejected. Much like how if the earth was closer to the sun, we wouldn’t survive, and if the earth was further from the sun, we wouldn’t survive, having below the required skills for a job means you aren’t hired, but having skills that far exceed the job also means you aren’t hired. (Why Employers Don’t Want to Hire Overqualified Candidates – USNews.com)

We’ve commonly heard the phrase ‘find balance in your life’ and that is usually talked about within a context of conflict. Balancing time spent being productive and time spent recovering from the energy spent being productive. However, this post is about highlighting the importance of balancing one’s abilities within the context of their environment. Much like picking up a cup to take a sip should not take an hour, that’s too slow, nor should it take a split second, that’s too fast, you should accomplish tasks at a ‘reasonable pace’ to the environment. However, if you are trying to clear a table of cups, split second cup pick upping might be appropriate, with normal speed being too slow. At the same time, if the cup is dangerously close to a string that if touched will destroy everything you love, then perhaps taking an hour to be careful in removing the cup is apt.

Find balance within context. Life demands it. And life is mean to those who don’t obey. So if things are going wrong, keep changing the variables to find the right tune.

#contextForLife

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Life is Cruel

January 30, 2017ContextSolomon

The world was not created for you or by you. Remember this fact and make no mistake: there are rules to the game, and they are not set by you. If you want to win, play by the rules. If you don’t know what the rules are, learn them. If there is no-one to teach you, expect to have a tough time. Expect to be treated unfairly. Deal with it. And be patient. Be patient because eventually, you’ll learn the rules. Be patient because eventually, you’ll have the opportunity to win. Don’t give in to despair. Don’t give in to the obstacles and setbacks and unfairness and the cruelty. Be patient and keep going.

Remember, the world was not created to help you. You have to help yourself, and you have to play by the rules. How much you want something means nothing if you go against a rule, because the rule will win. Make no mistake, find and follow the rules of life and you will find success. Fail to do so, and you will suffer.

Context: terminally ill patient asks loved one to commit double suicide with them. According to certain religions, terminally ill patient will die of natural causes and therefore go to heaven. Terminally ill patient is afraid of death and doesn’t want to enter it alone. Loved one loves terminally ill patient and so agrees to join them so that they won’t be alone. However, according to certain religions, because the loved one who committed suicide did not die of natural causes, they will be punished with eternal damnation in hell. The loved one didn’t follow the rules of a natural death. And the terminally ill one didn’t follow the rules of the loved one achieving a natural death. So in the midst of death and despair, two lovers demonstrate love, and are punished dearly for it with separation and torture.

Now I’m not religious, so I am not using this story for any religious purposes. I just use it to highlight how no matter how pure the intention, no matter how strong the desire, no matter how good the plan, if the actions don’t follow the rules of reality, the expected outcome will not occur. So please, learn the rules of the game and follow them.