Maya Angelou once said that if someone tells you who they are, believe them. I read that quote quite some time ago and I thought it was such a dependable piece of advice.
But I missed the more complex application. When she says "tell" you, she doesn't actually mean speech. A person may not tell you with his or her words who he or she is. Most people simply aren't that honest with themselves or the network of people around them to tell you who they are with their words.
They may give you generic and empty descriptions like "kind" or "thoughtful" or "intelligent" or "outspoken". Those adjectives are subjective. What I consider to be "thoughtful" or "intelligent" may be much different from the definitions another person has. So how, really is anyone any of those aforementioned things?
Of course, there are universal consensus about kindness and humanity and respect. We all agree murder is generally wrong. The difference in opinion come with the subtlies in details, not the big picture.
Nonetheless, rarely is a person emotionally equipped to tell who they really are. His or her true character is revealed in tests. The situations of one's0 life will test and provoke a response and the sum total of those responses will reveal who that person really is.
I missed that. I understand now, but I missed it. I saw someone based on what I heard. I trusted what I heard and overlooked what I saw.
But I missed the more complex application. When she says "tell" you, she doesn't actually mean speech. A person may not tell you with his or her words who he or she is. Most people simply aren't that honest with themselves or the network of people around them to tell you who they are with their words.
They may give you generic and empty descriptions like "kind" or "thoughtful" or "intelligent" or "outspoken". Those adjectives are subjective. What I consider to be "thoughtful" or "intelligent" may be much different from the definitions another person has. So how, really is anyone any of those aforementioned things?
Of course, there are universal consensus about kindness and humanity and respect. We all agree murder is generally wrong. The difference in opinion come with the subtlies in details, not the big picture.
Nonetheless, rarely is a person emotionally equipped to tell who they really are. His or her true character is revealed in tests. The situations of one's0 life will test and provoke a response and the sum total of those responses will reveal who that person really is.
I missed that. I understand now, but I missed it. I saw someone based on what I heard. I trusted what I heard and overlooked what I saw.
0 comments:
Post a Comment