[DeathStorm]

Thanks, again, Brutha

I read Seth Godin's interview. Seems an interesting guy.
And I especially appreciated his comments about business school, since I faced similar uncertainties in the first months at university

Originally Posted by Brutha

will map out my own path a bit.
[...]

Congratulations for all your achievements and my best wishes for whatever you will do in your future

Let me tell you something.
I also recall many events during my school time in which teachers personally addressed me - and only me - with admiration and encouragement.
Sometimes I was sceptic about them, and sometimes I didn't like the idea of being like a "teacher's favorite pupil"; but I have often absorbed the encouragements, and used them to help my classmates as well.

I didn't get any awards unless in competitions I participated at on purpose
(literary, technological, poetical, musical, etc.).

Unlike most others who are actively involved in "real" music, I had never gone to extra music classes in my childhood, yet it was a music teacher who - one day when I was 13 or 14 - really pushed me to go into the field because I have a "very talented voice", [despite me being the one who was distracting and disturbing everyone in class... but that was a period of hormones, so it's irrelevant information :P]

Then there was a teacher who had actually never taught me but knew about me due to gossip. He taught biology in classes higher than mine and I sometimes went to those classes in my free time. We also often engaged in discussions about things that weren't part of the scope of school education and he was always "amazed and puzzled that someone my age is already devouring such topics".

Perhaps one of the compliments by a teacher I remember most is [during a period when I had a quite hard time in my life, in general],
"You may not have perfect grades, but you are a real adult man. I sincerely admire you both as my student and as a person, your constant effort to think out of the box, and your devotion towards the people around you."
(As a matter of fact, though, I did get 'perfect' grades shortly after :P)

But then came a period of growth during which I (and my "ideals") had to confront the clichés of the "adult world", "work life", etc. and I admit that I often tended towards the latter - probably due to social and family influence.
I did numerous extra things (practical, social, creative, technological, sportive etc.) but I think that I could have really followed more focused plans if I wasn't constantly bombarded with all notions on career and specialization.

Originally Posted by Brutha

Then I have also a few weakpoints like my lack of social skills (I joined Toastmaster this year to combat that point) and my lack of structure in nearly all parts of my life. As a result my general effectiveness is probably smaller than yours at the moment.

General effectiveness... I don't really know. There are so many other fields in life than "effectiveness" itself. Family, health... do you count these as well?

Anyway, I would like to address another issue [but maybe not on this same page because it's a totally different discussion] on what is cliché-fully referred to as "social skills". To be brief: isn't this also an 'issue' that stems from the perception of a specializing world? From a lack of tolerance towards diversity in the standards of "social relations", and the myth that social life is found - for example - only in nightclubs, only by being a perfect social networker, only by being positive and smiling at everyone all the time, etc.?
(---> coming up in the Social & Relationships page of the forum)

Originally Posted by Brutha

Do you have any persons you consider as personal ideals?

Throughout my life, I was obviously inspired by other people, especially my friends and one of my first girlfriends (she was probably my first "waypoint" in artistic/musical ambitions).
We always keep inspiring each other in one way or another.

At a more idealistic level, I see a personal ideal in every person who has the guts and righteous spirit to go and directly help people in emergency situations, amidst warfare and other conflict (see Emergency, Médecins Sans Frontières) and to stand up for peace despite the selfish nature of humanity (which is also a notion that is being refuted by newer biological, evolutionary and neuroscientific discoveries... but do we always have to act according to "notions"?).