I got a comment today saying that they wish they had my natural talent to let the words flow in writing and, while I have probably thought similarly about various skills other may have, I think it could often discount the skill. The idea that something is naturally given means that it didn't require work to achieve and while this might be true for looks, height or intelligence - not all skills require initial talent to develop.
I was that kid at school that would choke in front of the class while delivering a 3 minute book review, the kid that would struggle to get a page of text out to write it, and the kid that spent most of early life alone observing others. Now, I stand in front of groups of professionals and deliver training, write a mass and, still spend my time observing others.
While it is possible that some talent was naturally there but lay dormant through lack of opportunity or will, I feel that the idea of having natural talent is used to reduce the work it takes to develop a talent and often an excuse as to why, they can do it, but I can't. I find that often the will to learn, practice and fail is the difference between having a skill and not and the failure component usually comes down to "I don't want to look or feel stupid in front of others".
While I don't have other immutable Blockchains to scrape and compare, if I had to estimate it, 99% of all that I have ever written in this life including all from school, university and life - is here on the Steem Blockchain. The last 2.5 years has been my learning, practicing and failures. But, that is in the free writing part of it and I have read and learned many other things in my life.
It is pretty obvious to most that my writing comes largely through observation and my own experiences of the world, but it doesn't mean what I write about is happening or related to me directly all the time. As said, when i was a kid I spent a great deal of time alone but in observation of people and continue observing today. It is difficult to observe thoughtlessly and as a result, stories build in my imagination that look to make sense of what I am seeing. Sometimes I am able to get feedback, sometimes not but thoughts keep flowing through and writing their path across my mind. Images and words.
It is much like the idea of "don't think about an elephant" and forcing someone to picture in their mind's eye what is prompted and as an observer, my prompts come from life seen and experience. I think that this might be a skill that is being lost to some degree as many people bury their noses into screens and consume "life" from the same sources as many others which means, the same stories are likely to be catalyzed.
This is a kind of social programming where large groups consume from the same sources, the same information, the same messaging, the same conditioning, the same conversations and then, behave similarly. When group behavior becomes predictable, it becomes manipulable.
One of the exciting things that is hopefully soon to arrive on Steem is a change in protocols that disrupts the status quo and makes behavior of the group less predictable on a granular level. This creates more variation in action, more width in experience and hopefully, catalyzes a broader range of thoughts that result in new innovation and development. Will it result in people being naturally suited to it or, will people adapt - with adaption meaning learning to act differently within a changed environment?
Some may be "better suited" to it than others but at the end of the day it might be more like this:
Those of us who are curious, fundamentally happy by nature, and willing to take what comes will manage just fine through the inevitable rebalancing. -
The happy component isn't even necessary for those who are curious and willing enough to embrace the change with a learning , rather than a resistance process. Many people are change averse and therefore throw up barriers to resist it, even after the changes happen. This means that rather than a growth mindset, they are in a process of stagnancy or withdrawal from the environment.
Later will they say, those who succeeded in the change had natural talent to do so? Will they suspect some kind of underhanded action because they assume if they can't be successful, no one else can? Will they say that it isn't fair because the changes didn't suit their current behaviors specifically?
There have been many changes on Steem over the years that have affected behavior positively and negatively as a group, that has empowered and harmed individuals, that has been met with resistance initially and then accepted, and has been accepted fast and then later resisted. Change is a constant everywhere, not just on Steem and I wonder what kinds of real lives the people lead who are unable to cope with digital changes.
For me, none of this social side comes naturally, nor does the technical understanding, nor does the writing, or the will to express my life experiences, thoughts, predictions and stories I live or imagine with others. Steem has challenged me to improve myself in many ways from a skills perspective because it encourages broad skillsets at the general level for participation, not a narrow line that few are interested in.
Maybe there are people who are naturally more motivated than others to learn, but I have always been the lazy procrastinator who struggles to do what I must do, let alone what I needn't do to survive. After over three decades of life and observation though, it wasn't working for me so, I had to start to start working for me.
But of course, it all comes naturally and takes no effort. I don't mind people thinking that though because that is their perspective of life and if not careful, can lead to a life of jealousy and craving. It makes people angry to see someone do with apparent ease what they may struggle with, but I think people who actually want something should work out how to make it easy for themselves as they will likely discover, it isn't easy at all -but is it worth it?
That is for each of us to decide and how we spend our time and resources is going to affect our outcomes. Some will use theirs to learn and adapt, some will use theirs to resist and stay the same.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]