Take a moment and read this post, it can be very rewarding!
Tom:
I’m reading here about phantasy, imagination, the uselessness of education that takes the form of simple fact acquisition, and the great, great contributions of “original thinkers.” I would take that last point a step further and say that the greatest of our thinkers are often labeled “insane” but if their talent can be accepted and they can thus be permitted to offer their contribution, they are the ones who might change the world, the so-called crazy ones.
I hear your message. We must free ourselves from all we have been taught about staying on the conventional path, working hard, thinking analytically all that separates us from our potential. Only when we find the courage to break free might we, as you say, find those “glorious stories to tell.”
I can feel in your writing in this blog a sense of this freedom, although I hear in this post a hint of anger. I understand that anger – spent many years banging my head against the wall in frustration. But am now trying to stay focused on what’s really in my control – me. But then maybe a little anger in these matters isn’t a bad thing.
Me:
”…The greatest of our thinkers are often labeled “insane” but if their talent can be accepted and they can thus be permitted to offer their contribution, they are the ones who might change the world, the so-called crazy ones.”
This makes me think of Spiritual Emergency – a book released in the 90´s where the writer well pointed out that the reason why we no longer have real prophets, great poets and seers is because most of them are to be found locked in asylums.
I´ve given this serious thought throughout the years, and I agree with that writer:
The present Zeitgeist doesn´t allow people with extraordinary gifts to survive. What they say can be so mind-blowing and different, so there is most often nobody to hear, heed, and take them seriously. And so these people instead of being encouraged to be themselves, thrive and unleash their gifts, are ridiculed, forced to be “normal” and eventually declared pathologically ill…
Is there a more horrendous crime than that?…How can we ever heal as species when we don´t allow ourselves to be healed, due to the worst disease, namely Pure Reason…?
Some years ago, I was supposed to give a piano lesson to a 11-years-old girl. To make it short, we began to improvise something – she had never played piano before – and as she felt safe with me, belive it or not, she began playing!!! the most incredibly peculiar song. Her improvisation sounded similar to Carmina Burana of Carl Orff – it was incredibly coherent piano playing, and, what was astounding is that she sang along in a langauge I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE! It was an eery combination of Latin and Italian, It was unbelievable, it was like she was in trance…I could almost discern the words she sang…A sad story about a curse, a monster and a girl kidnaped…oh, if I had words to depict the curious and odd melody she was murmuring…It was some kind of conjuration…I was enthralled…
I told her narcissistic and fatuous mother about her daughter`s most unusual talent and she dismissed me with a distorted and idiotic smile, ignoring my words…I don´t know what happened to that girl ever since…Never saw her again…
I have seen all too many cases of utterly talented people who ended up ill, or even died due to total lack of understanding. You say you detect a hint of anger. I don´t know whether it´s the case with this particular post, but yes, seeing all this prejudice and ignorance and shortsightedness within the so-called educated circles as well as elsewhsere in society, sometimes I am angry. This anger helps me survive, it helps me continuing writing on this blog.
As you say, conventions and analytical thinking kills life, kills our dreams and dignity – this way of “living”, deprives us of our great potential.
Instead of fulfilling a great and meaningful destiny, many special people are consigned to inane misunderstanding and misery.
https://julienmatei.com/2012/08/30/7044/