A favorite Margaret Mead quote is this: “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” I’ve always felt that the quote is a great knockdown for the arrogant among us. You know, those whose noses are stuck up, and seem to think they should be riding in a royal carriage rather than walking along the street like the rest of us.
Unfortunately, I’ve been reminded once or twice (that’s all!) of my tendency to strut just a bit too pridefully too. So arrogance is probably not the best characteristic to tout for uniqueness.
But then, neither is too much of other characteristics: pride, thrift, humility, and many others. In moderation, all are wonderful, even valuable traits. But like arrogance taken to excess, they are neither flattering nor useful. Having a touch of caution about strangers is a useful trait, but in excess, you’ll never have trusting relationships. Thrift? Oh, I can tell you about thrift! You’ve heard the old expression about saving short bits of twine and string. Sigh… for me, it’s bits of wood – an entire shed full. My Precious!!
No. I suspect that the most critical part of us may be moderation—the ability to moderate our abilities, traits, failings, and characteristics so they fall into place and leave us as functioning and even fairly unique individuals.
Some of us probably do have more talent, artistic flair, willpower, or other traits based on character, genetics, or persuasion. But a dwindling supply of the capability to moderate probably leads to excess.
This leads me to perception. In the coastal community where I lived, an old timer lived among his clutter and ten cats. He was affectionately referred to as an eccentric. A mile away, a wealthy summer resident lived among her collections of expensive antiques. She was termed a crazy old coot. So, differences in perception color our perceptions of how people appear to us. Beware, oh take care.
Discover more from Louis N. Carreras, Woodcarver
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
This is wonderful. Thank you, Love, nia
I agree — moderation along with humility and the willingness to step back and question our certainties.
It’s not something we all learn in time to avoid some heartache and pain.
I’ve trained myself to notice when I’m disproportionately irritated by something about someone else. When I have an instant emotional reaction to something mild. I ask myself, is this because it’s something I don’t like about myself? Sure enough, I just found myself going out of my way to prove Pedro’s 19-year-old son wrong the other day. In my mind I thought, “It drives me crazy when he acts like he knows everything.” ….then within minutes I realized I do this all the time. I must drive others crazy. *sigh*
I too, have this irritating tendency.
As creators we get to share our uniqueness more than most. It’s so easy to want to write like a bestseller for example, but when we write like the best us, thats when we get the best results.
I like you have stacks of wood offcuts, bits and pieces I found and held on to. You never know when one might become the next project, or be the perfect fit to resolve a problem on another.
Great post, Lou. Love the couple with the cats too.
Thanks, Mason. I am redoing the wood storage, and found that I some pieces of stuff I’ve been hanging on to since the late 1970’s. This may be just a bit too much.
Wow, you have been collecting wood for a long while. It’s like a memory collection of all your projects in there.
Have fun sorting through.