Thinkers are stupid people. They sit around looking worthless, and coming up with ideas other people think are useless, or silly.
Adventurers are stupid people also. They go places other people know are dangerous, and do things other people know are silly.
Thinkers come up with philosophies no one uses, and adventurers visit places no one else will ever think of vacationing, let alone taking up residence.
Somehow both thinkers, and adventurers have become heros for millions of the world's people. Thinkers and adventurers have designed democratic governments, discovered cures for devastating diseases, written world changing tomes, enlarged nations, and discovered new lands.
Today I read about a writer who described his writing as a process of turning sentences day in and day out. In a basement in Colorado he sits in front of a computer screen and plays with words. He is a thinker, and he does silly word games all day long. People think highly of this man, but there are thousands just like him whose words will never mean much to the general populace. They will be thought of as stupid people, doing silly word games all day long.
I tend to be an adventurer who gets into things other people avoid, and then I spend time thinking, and philosophizing about the things I get into. I'm not sure this holds out much hope for me.
Well that is my thoughts from Southern France at least. Maybe I'll feel differently from Taize in a couple days.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I think it takes both kinds of gifts, Phil, and you're fortunate to be able to do both roles. I think it's when philosophizing becomes obsessing that we get into real trouble. It's grace and the Spirit that can help us use both gifts wisely and well.
Hope your time in Taize is wonderful. Glad to have you back blogging...
Thanks Anne,
I am hoping to find some ideas to bring home in Taize.
Looking forward to hearing them. Also ran across this by Leonard Sweet that made me think of this post:
"Part of the uniqueness of humanity, beings created in the image of God, is our instinct to seek and to enjoy the pleasures of seeking. It is born in us to dare, to desire, and to delight in the Quest. Questing-made-possible is who we are."
Your comments about stupidity remind me of a quote I saw recently attributed to Einstein that said something like this: "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genuis has its limits".
I am obviously not a genius - genuis...
Post a Comment