For me, one of the most interesting things about the whole Human Experience is the myriad different ways this single species we are functions in our environment.
We each seem to have skill sets that — if allowed to be practiced and developed appropriately — allow us to make really valuable contributions to the world... in our own ways.
I was reading an article about education this morning, and it set me drifting sideways into memories of back when I was in school.
About age 14 or so was really when I started to grasp that I was a very slow learner with the capacity of gaining much above average proficiency in most things I undertook.
In a world that tends to place a very high value on "quickness," it was not really a combination that was much appreciated... to the point where I even spent some time talking to the school psychologist, trying to determine whether I was "a bit slow in the head."
This was the 1970's, folks! Todays "political correctness" hadn't really been invented, yet!
A Good Fourth Impression!
What was actually the situation was that I had a natural "learning style" that was deliberate and very thorough. Naturally, it meant that I spent a lot longer grasping how something fully functioned... but once I did, my proficiency level tended to keep growing and growing beyond where many quicker learners had already plateaued.
In many ways, I believe my learning style contributed substantially to my journey into self-employment, which allowed me to become expert at things that interested me — or that I had a talent for — at my own pace.
Whenever I went into "conventional" work situations, it was almost inevitable that part of the job description would include the phrase "ideally should be a quick learner." It is a phrase that has always scared the snot out of me!
As for the "good fourth impression" line, it was a way I used to joke about myself... people would talk about the importance of making a good first impression and I'd admit that I always made a great fourth impression.
Most people either didn't "get" it, or didn't think it was funny.
So what's the point of this story?
Well, aside from just being another chapter in using the blockchain to document various aspects of life, it's also intended as a reminder that we humans are all unique and different... and just because we might not happen to fit the "preferred mode" of our culture at the moment doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with us as individuals.
Heck, it even took me a long time to become proficient at Hive!
People have different uses and skill sets. For some situations, it's perfectly normal to prefer someone who can grasp a concept and run with it right away... even if all they do is end up being "proficient" with it. In other situations, it might offer a better payoff to consider the "end run" of someone's potential... taking the much longer path to ending up with an expert on your team.
It's just a shame that we tend to live in a very impatient world...
Thanks for reading, and have a great Friday!
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Created at 20221222 23:03 PDT
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I home schooled our three children from 1990-2010. The first one quickly picked up on all things academic. The second one took longer to learn things, but then she seemed to grasp several concepts at once. The third one was dyslexic, but I didn't find that out until she was 13. I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to help her learn, but didn't get very far until a professional was able to help her out. Yes, we all learn differently, and on differing timelines. I look back on my own elementary school years in the 1960s, and think about the kids who never seemed to catch on to anything, and wonder what their learning disabilities were. Nobody knew about those things, back then. I'm glad you finally figured out your own strengths and your learning style.