Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums

Marco Polo · 07-10-2008, 09:37 AM

Sponges: absorb things from their environment with great ease. Words, ideas, even other people's emotions. You feel like one with your environment and become moved easily by what you see, and perhaps by what other people think of you. You find that you adapt your mannerisms slightly, depending on who you're talking to.

Rocks: you're a bit more closed to the world - you're not an open book and you're not easily affected. You are proficient at "separating" yourself from you environment, and from your own inner experience. You can entertain many different thoughts and viewpoints, without actually accepting them. You mannerisms are more consistent, so you don't adapt them very much to other people.

What do you think?

Which are you (if you had to choose, and be honest), and how could we find a good balance point? Like a spongy rock. Or rocky sponge.

Peek · 07-10-2008, 10:43 AM

Well, I am a sponge in the shape of a rock.
Both combine pretty well, I guess.

Zwynd · 07-11-2008, 03:21 AM

Why not both? You are essentially describing personality masks:

I can pretend to get along with people, copy their mannerisms, and flow with them. I can also sit back and evaluate the situation without being emotionally attached.

Sponge rock it is!

Tigerlilly · 07-11-2008, 09:22 AM

Choosing by given definitions, sponge.

But then: "You can entertain many different thoughts and viewpoints, without actually accepting them." is a match as well. To me that's part of life as a sponge.

lasti · 07-11-2008, 10:12 AM

I'm a rock most of the time but I can turn into a sponge when I want.

SriniG · 07-11-2008, 11:00 AM

Neither. I would be water!

"Be formless... shapeless like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, and it can crash. Be water, my friend."
~ Bruce Lee

Remiel · 07-11-2008, 05:01 PM

I'm a sponge who's picked up a turtle shell

. My practice with having a turtle shell mask for so long has given me a freedom to be a sponge and not worry about what external things happen to me or what people want to think of me.

A.K.Light · 07-13-2008, 06:30 AM

I feel like I'm a rock that's wrapped in a sponge. I'm always thinking and calculating, but things don't really affect me until I consciously decide to take them in.

Old Soul · 07-19-2008, 09:59 AM

I am a sponge slowly changing into a rock......

Zenduba · 07-20-2008, 03:16 PM

I'm a porous rock!! My environment doesn't change me but if I feel that whatever is going on around me has the potential to positively influence my life then I'll allow it to.

Kindred · 07-20-2008, 05:41 PM

I'm more of a rock, although I don't like the term rock because rocks don't change without geological time.

Amandaaa · 07-23-2008, 10:47 AM

I think I'm about...60% Sponge and 40% Rock.

It's really hard to say...

I think I'm a combination of the two descriptions.

07-10-2008, 09:37 AM	#1 (permalink)
Marco Polo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 381	Are you a sponge or a rock? Sponges: absorb things from their environment with great ease. Words, ideas, even other people's emotions. You feel like one with your environment and become moved easily by what you see, and perhaps by what other people think of you. You find that you adapt your mannerisms slightly, depending on who you're talking to. Rocks: you're a bit more closed to the world - you're not an open book and you're not easily affected. You are proficient at "separating" yourself from you environment, and from your own inner experience. You can entertain many different thoughts and viewpoints, without actually accepting them. You mannerisms are more consistent, so you don't adapt them very much to other people. What do you think? Which are you (if you had to choose, and be honest), and how could we find a good balance point? Like a spongy rock. Or rocky sponge.

07-13-2008, 06:30 AM	#8 (permalink)
A.K.Light Banned Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 197	I feel like I'm a rock that's wrapped in a sponge. I'm always thinking and calculating, but things don't really affect me until I consciously decide to take them in. Last edited by A.K.Light; 07-13-2008 at 06:52 AM.

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07-10-2008, 10:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
Peek Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Guangzhou China Posts: 269	Well, I am a sponge in the shape of a rock. Both combine pretty well, I guess.

07-11-2008, 03:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
Zwynd Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Everywhere Posts: 377	Why not both? You are essentially describing personality masks: I can pretend to get along with people, copy their mannerisms, and flow with them. I can also sit back and evaluate the situation without being emotionally attached. Sponge rock it is!

07-11-2008, 09:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tigerlilly Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 257	Choosing by given definitions, sponge. But then: "You can entertain many different thoughts and viewpoints, without actually accepting them." is a match as well. To me that's part of life as a sponge.

07-11-2008, 10:12 AM	#5 (permalink)
lasti Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 619	I'm a rock most of the time but I can turn into a sponge when I want.

07-11-2008, 11:00 AM	#6 (permalink)
SriniG Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: India Posts: 11	Neither. I would be water! "Be formless... shapeless like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, and it can crash. Be water, my friend." ~ Bruce Lee

07-11-2008, 05:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
Remiel Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 470	I'm a sponge who's picked up a turtle shell . My practice with having a turtle shell mask for so long has given me a freedom to be a sponge and not worry about what external things happen to me or what people want to think of me.

07-19-2008, 09:59 AM	#9 (permalink)
Old Soul Family Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,016	I am a sponge slowly changing into a rock......

07-20-2008, 03:16 PM	#10 (permalink)
Zenduba Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Mafikeng, South Africa Posts: 39	I'm a porous rock!! My environment doesn't change me but if I feel that whatever is going on around me has the potential to positively influence my life then I'll allow it to.

07-20-2008, 05:41 PM	#11 (permalink)
Kindred Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 149	I'm more of a rock, although I don't like the term rock because rocks don't change without geological time.

07-23-2008, 10:47 AM	#12 (permalink)
Amandaaa Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 344	I think I'm about...60% Sponge and 40% Rock. It's really hard to say... I think I'm a combination of the two descriptions.

Personal Development for Smart PeopleTM Forums

Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums