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Developing the Human Potential for Excellence
The Abbe had a most comprehensive grasp of Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Geometry and languages, and I cannot help but wonder at the ingenuity of a man who had defied all physical restrictions and was, I feel, able to live a much fuller life than the one I am myself leading now.
It humbles me. We humans use technology as a crutch, and as a result, our faculties are dimmed. Instead of evolving, we are devolving. My contacts are all in Gmail now, when in the olden days, I would have to remember them. But in the process of not using my memory, it has become weak. “Use it or lose it” is the principle that the body functions on with regard to it’s faculties, and I’m afraid that compared to the giants of days gone by, my abilities are hopelessly atrophied.
I can’t help comparing myself to men like the Abbe Faria and realizing that even if I wanted to, I can’t reach their potential. They had the unfair advantage of necessity. Were I to embark on a course of development of my full potential, what use would it serve me? My training would break down because my common sense would reassert itself and tell me that there is no need!
It makes me almost hate my technological life that is stopping me from exercising my human potential for Excellence. Necessity brings out the best in men, and that is severely lacking in today’s world. The olden days were more conducive to the production of great men who had a grasp and understanding of the world around them in fields as diverse as politics and physics.
We have so much potential, but we never get a chance to realize it. It’s a tragic situation, and from what I can see, it’s only going to get worse. Is there no escape from a future doomed to mediocrity and atrophy of our abilities, as technology renders them useless?
Speaking of inventions, my recent article explains why you might not want to patent your latest invention. It’s rather devious though, so you’re warned in advance!
Interesting post. Enjoyed reading itCheck my blog athttp://offbeatspirituality.blogspot.com/
Yes, the Abbe Faria was pure genius! But what about the Count himself?! He spent half his lifetime planning his revenge… strange devious plots.. and I am yet to find out how well the execution (of the plans!) went.
Well interesting, also I look at it from a stand point where I have not read the original Count Of Monte Cristo or do I remember anything of it from teh abridged version that I had read ages back in school.. But coming to the central point of the article where the lack of need is stated as the excuse for not pursuing excellence, I wonder as I have mentioned its an excuse. I believe Need is not the only driver towards excellence, it comes with an inner desire to excel. Learning of Abbe from what you have explained about him, I am ignorant of what his need was but it gets me wondering if everyone would go about excelling in all the fields mentioned as Abbe had, in the given situation. I believe there is something more to a person who excel, there is something more than his mundane need to survive everyday and his mundane desire to die unknown. That can never be a driver to excellence, it needs a desire from the heart the desire which stems from the need to only excel.