Emily Dickinson puts it rather well when she says:
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you--Nobody--Too?
Then there's a pair of us?
Don't tell! they'd advertise--you know!
How dreary--to be--Somebody!
How public--like a Frog--
To tell one's name--the livelong June--
To an admiring Bog!
The real world expects all of us to be "somebodys" or atleast state an ambition to that effect. Why is there this need for recognition? Is it because we are not comfortable with ourselves? If we are indeed comfortable then why this need for outside endorsement?
Of course, all this applies to talented people. What of the untalented? Why are they under the constant pressure of having to prove one talent or the other? Can't someone be plain untalented? Why can we never accept these things?
Then of course there are people who are comfortable with being nobodys and the wannabe somebody world calls them LAZY!!!
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9 comments:
Very valid concern. Many of us claim that we love what we do and enjoy what we do. If that were true, then they wouldn't seek recognition (which is merely an external endorsement of their capabilities or appeal).
I think people love themselves more than what they think they love. The sheer joy of doing for the sake of doing is lost. I watch myself eagerly running towards becoming the best in what I do and then I stop short... and stand still to let that initial frenzy pass me.
It is so easy to be a somebody, but so difficult to be a nobody for once you recognise that you are a nobody and have achieved becoming a nobody, you become a somebody!!
Being a nobody is not the same as being lazy or desultory!!
Isnt there a purpose of existence for every person? Shouldnt the quest for that truth be what determines your way of life. Im going to let you on a little secret, till a few years back, I used to wish that I could see and talk with God (even though I didnt believe in him during that time) just once to find out my purpose in this world. Everyday I used to wish that would happen, atleast a quick fleeting chit chat in my dreams. Well, I still havent found my purpose but I would like to think Ill be getting there soon. Following the previous line of thought, do you think being a nobody is purposeful? You dont have to create an identity or do something in order to stand out in a crowd, but I believe there is a purpose and a talent in every individual.
I guess it's a really nice way to pass the time.
I dont know if I quite put across what I wanted to. The point I was trying to make was that everyone seems in need of recognition of some sort. A nobody in my context is someone who does things for the the joy of doing as eroteme has so aptly put it. It is rather sad that the very process of doing, that should be enjoyed, has to be altered in order to achieve some tangible result in terms of recognition.
@ss
True all of us have a purpose in life and it is a life long quest for most of us. The question raised here, however, is not whether one must have a purpose in life but whether it is imperative for the whole world to know, recognise and appreciate/criticise one's purpose.
@sridhar
Whats a good way to pass time? wanting to be somebody or trying hard to remain a nobody?
@meera, ah i wasnt too clear.....being somebody .... :D ... being a nobody involves way too much boredom ...however i think i've misunderstood what you were trying to convey with your post .....hmm if it's the issue of recognition is what you are driving at then ....well ..i dunno ..
although ...
"It is rather sad that the very process of doing, that should be enjoyed, has to be altered in order to achieve some tangible result in terms of recognition"
why is it sad ? recognition is extremely useful as a survival tactic .... ( and thats a very basic question that most people fail to ask themselves ) .. .. anyways ... philosophy before dinner always gives me indigestion ....
I would question this notion about having a purpose in life. I suppose that is usually our tactics of cheating ourselves into believing that we are important and hence eager to project our deeds in order to ensure that we are living towards fulfilling our purpose. This very notion is the forgotten seed towards seeking adulation and recognition.
Everyone thinks that they are special and have a unique purpose in life. In the solemn words of the wise Mountain Monk: "Yeah right!"
that's because the talented people make the rules, and we, the untalented, have to follow them and be in accordance with certain fundas and do a minimum threshold level performance for respectable survival. No one can be plainly untalented, unfortunately.
We are brainwashed from childhood to feel good when someone appreciates us and it just carries on through our life, I guess.A surprisingly large percentage of our daily activities are done because lots of other people do it.Mob psychology at work.
If you are not recognized for your work, you feel as if you are not needed at all. And that hurts a lot of people-the feeling that one is not necessary for others to carry on with their lives.
Youre up. tagged you!!!
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