Wednesday, July 02, 2008
-
I'd like to poll the audience, please...
Currently Listening
Rock What You Got
By Superchic(k)
Guitar Hero
see related"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.
Interesting.
Here lately I've been spending a lot of time thinking about this, and whether or not I am making the most of myself. I know that God has created me with a specific goal in mind, complete with talents, strengths, abilities, and, much to my dismay, the requisit weaknesses. But am I living up to the hype?
God, show me who it is you want me to be.
Now, on to the "poll the audience" segment of today's post...
I found these two quotes"
"There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success." ~ George Matthew Adams
"Let us not say, Every man is the architect of his own fortune; but let us say, Every man is the architect of his own character." ~George Dana Boardman
Are these quotes contradictory, and if so, which do you accept as truth? Or, if you find them complimentary, how so? I'm working on my own opinion, but I'd like to hear what you all think first.
Be blessed!
P.S.- If you're looking for some good new music, check out Superchic[k]'s "Rock What You Got" or Kutless' "To Know That You're Alive." tobyMac's "Alive and Transported" is excellent too. And I just finished reading Stephen Baldwin's book "The Unusual Suspect" about his conversion to Christianity, and I must say, I was impressed. More about that later.
-
recommend
- recs 0
- give stars
- votes 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Post a Comment
- Back to show_me_your_glory's Xanga Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in show_me_your_glory's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (4)
I believe that every man (member of the human race) is the architect of his own destiny. That doesn't necessarily mean he builds his own foundation; we all build off of those who came before, to some extent or other. I don't think the quotes are contradictory; after all, there is another quote that ties them both together: "No man is an island." -- John Donne, and yet another: All men are created equal. We don't exist in isolation, but we ultimately control our own lives, regardless of our origins.
I don't think the two quotes are directly related to each other. The first is addressing self-sufficiency, whether or not what we build is completely ours. It is saying that what we are given to build upon is so great that whatever we make of it will never be completely ours. The second is addressing to what extent we influence our lives, saying that the only thing we can control is the kind of people we become. Things that happen to us, and therefore make up our futures, are outside of our control. The first contrasts self-made versus influenced, the second contrasts the building of our selves vs the building of our lives.
Two different categories, related indirectly by this fact: One of the many things that we can not control is what has been given us by our origin. We can only choose what to do with it, and therefore how it influences our character.
No, they aren't contradictory. We are effected by the words and actions of other, but we also decide how we respond to them and how we let them effect our character. ~ L
@GermanWrench - @empress8411 - @P_Obrien - Thanks for the feedback...
My response is not quite formulated yet.
I know, typical cop-out.