Guest guest Posted July 5, 2002 Report Share Posted July 5, 2002 QUESTION: If a Prodigy Child proficient in an artform or such is born into a society unevolved to recognize such a particular artform, could that culture have the capacity to recognize it's own child as a Prodigy? If not, how would that society or culture (inequipped to recognize a particular brand of genius because it had not evolved far enough to even recognize it) react to it's own intuitive offspring? Would that society/culture nurture and support it's prodigy offspring or neglect it because it was not evolved enough to understand it? Is it possible there are prodigies among us here today that our society has not evolved enough to understand…? (and therefore mistreat) David (just wondering) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2002 Report Share Posted July 5, 2002 A wonderful question, David. First thing that comes to mind is that children should by nature be a bit further ahead of their parents, them being, developmental wise, a new twig on the tree of evolution... It may just be a small advance, but when so, one that I consider that parents would be quickly cognizant of. I only have an example in my son, a young computer programmer of some stature. Myself and my wife both expected that he would follow somewhat in our footsteps, him seeing us building our own house by our own hands, him seeing us so involved in landscape and vegetable gardening. Us, giving him plenty of opportunity to apply himself likewise, while him never taking the bait so to say. The only thing that we saw him pick up on was our love for nature, living in the woods, hiking, biking and so on. We very early on noticed a trait in him though that we could not fathom, a strange exact following of directions even when the directions were not correct, and a lack of intuitive filling in of holes in our directions or instructions, but he would invite us to explain ourselves better, giving him more info. It was when he was still very young and programming languages such as BASIC were still being developed, that we saw him pique his interest, a pilot flame became a fire quickly. We then understood that his following of directions and his peculiar way of dealing with instructions early in life were the same as a computer program going through its logic, instructions, and programming loops. I had, me being a Montessori teacher, developed a neat 'hands on' way of teaching programming using long strips of paper with instructions sliding as algorithms through an instruction window, to make up stories, choosing from story lines while using different sets of verbs, nouns, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions and so forth. He improved upon the method quickly, giving me hints on how to do it more effectively. When he was 16 he stood in front of some two hundred government officials explaining internet to them and urging them to embrace it quickly. I employed him in the company that I managed, to have us use "computer bulletin board" technology to have our company do email like stuff and accessing our teaching schedules through early modem versions. Was he a prodigy? We as parents saw it, our friends and relatives did not, they saw him only sitting in his bedroom day and night... not knowing that he was already webbing the world widely. An extreme programmer from birth? Wim (Obviously a proud parent, but could pride not be that what picks up on prodigy qualities?) (By the way, I wear underwear brand named Prodigy.) (I have always felt that we as parents, were to learn from our children... I am still doing that...) david bozzi [david.bozzi] Thursday, July 04, 2002 10:00 PM Prodigy? QUESTION: If a Prodigy Child proficient in an artform or such is born into a society unevolved to recognize such a particular artform, could that culture have the capacity to recognize it's own child as a Prodigy? If not, how would that society or culture (inequipped to recognize a particular brand of genius because it had not evolved far enough to even recognize it) react to it's own intuitive offspring? Would that society/culture nurture and support it's prodigy offspring or neglect it because it was not evolved enough to understand it? Is it possible there are prodigies among us here today that our society has not evolved enough to understand…? (and therefore mistreat) David (just wondering) /join All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights, perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not different than the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is always Present. It is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from within into It Self. Welcome all to a. Your use of is subject to --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.370 / Virus Database: 205 - Release 6/5/2002 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.370 / Virus Database: 205 - Release 6/5/2002 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2002 Report Share Posted July 5, 2002 This is a wonderful question. There have been some dark stories written about such prodigies (often with psychic gifts) who seem invariably to suffer at the hands of an intolernat and fearful society who cannot understand or appreciate such gifts. Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" comes to mind as a vivid example. In a more positive outlook, we can see that new ideas and trends are encouraged in many western societies, and that such a prodigy could very well become the next Edison, Einstein, Beethoven, Rodin or Bill Gates. A lot has to do with the sense of "differentness" that any such prodigy exhibited. Brilliant, super high IQ children usually either learn to mask their intellect at an early age, just to "fit in" with their lower IQ peers. If the prodigy is recognized for what he/she is at an early enough age, they may be placed in a special school or class for the gifted. This is not always a perfect thing, either, as such kids sometimes never adjust to being in a world of "average" or even "above average" people. Prodigies often burn out early...tragically. Less than 25% of "gifted" children achieve the level of success in adult life that experts would expect. Prodigies tend to die young. Life is stressful and difficult for them. See "A Beautiful Mind," for reference on this. On the other hand, young prodigies today have the best chance ever for achieving later success and happiness. More paths have developed for them to move rapidly, but to also gain the necessary social skills needed to survive in the "real world." Whatever that means. A lot depends on the nature of the prodigy...and the special talent(s) that they possess. I think a brilliant prodigy should go easy...keep their most brilliant talents in reserve, a bit. Not hide, mind you, but not flaunt, either. If the prodigy were truly, truly brilliant, they would seek to appear just above average...just a bit better in their abilities than those they compete with, rather than blindingly superior. Such vast differences would arouse jealousies, animosities and maybe worse things. Remember, if you come upon the Buddha while on the road...you are supposed to kill him. Blessings, Love, Zenbob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2002 Report Share Posted July 5, 2002 on 7/5/02 1:49 AM, zen2wrk (AT) aol (DOT) com at zen2wrk (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote: I think a brilliant prodigy should go easy...keep their most brilliant talents in reserve, a bit. Not hide, mind you, but not flaunt, either. If the prodigy were truly, truly brilliant, they would seek to appear just above average...just a bit better in their abilities than those they compete with, rather than blindingly superior. Such vast differences would arouse jealousies, animosities and maybe worse things. Remember, if you come upon the Buddha while on the road...you are supposed to kill him. Blessings, Love, Zenbob =================================== I am going to put all your shoulds and coulds in a basket called ideas and throw them out. The buddha onthe road has nothing but a sandal on his head...I wonder if he is hungry.? Shawn Ps It's much easier not to pick up the idea, then you can easily see it for what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2002 Report Share Posted July 5, 2002 What's happening to you Shawn? I'm missing that enthusiasm from your first posts... > I am going to put all your shoulds and coulds in a > basket called ideas and throw them out. > It's much easier not to pick up the idea [of the prodigy], > then you can easily see it for what it is. To pick up the idea of prodigy is not any different than to pick up that basket... "We all started out prodigies, all of us a new twig on the evolutionary tree... That twig may have been pruned but there is always a new bud waiting right above the spot where the pruning took place..." Wim (From "Pruning and the Buddha Tree") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2002 Report Share Posted July 5, 2002 on 7/5/02 8:44 AM, Wim Borsboom at wim (AT) aurasphere (DOT) org wrote: What's happening to you Shawn? I'm missing that enthusiasm from your first posts... Am I a static thing? Wim, good sir, you cannot step in the same Shawn twice. shanti Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2002 Report Share Posted July 6, 2002 Ps It's much easier not to pick up the idea, then you can easily see it for what it is. I look around the corner and see myself again...oh the Zen world is a funny one...and thanks for the reminder! -Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2002 Report Share Posted July 6, 2002 To pick up the idea of prodigy is not any different than to pick up that basket... "We all started out prodigies, all of us a new twig on the evolutionary tree... That twig may have been pruned but there is always a new bud waiting right above the spot where the pruning took place..." Wim (From "Pruning and the Buddha Tree") I like this very much. Blessings, -Zenbob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2002 Report Share Posted July 6, 2002 What's happening to you Shawn? I'm missing that enthusiasm from your first posts... Am I a static thing? Wim, good sir, you cannot step in the same Shawn twice. shanti Shawn :-) :-) :-) :-) -Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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