What makes you special?

[Nirvanadragones]

And I'm not being sarcastic, either.

I had a conversation with a friend this evening. We were talking about self esteem, and self confidence. We all have stages in our lives when it dips, with the result of us not feeling good about ourselves.

She said that she made a point of being absolutely certain of what makes her special and unique. She looks for it within. She trusts herself enough, to believe only what she knows, and feels, and not what others tell her.

I liked what she said. It's lovely to feel validated by someone else. Yet, it's essential to love ourselves, and to know intimately why we are amazing.

Which made me think . . . What makes me special? It took me a while to answer that.

How about you? What makes you special?

 

[huggeleph]

Love this post. Have been in a bit of a funk, and this reminded me to know, appreciate and honor my inner mojo. I'd say what makes me special is creativity and wit, as well as a gift for connecting broad groups of people and building communities.

 

[huggeleph]

What about you?

 

[oggbashan]

I wear a cake on my head.

Og

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I haven't figured that out for myself yet. I will let you know if I ever do.

 

[glynndah]

The sixth graders tell me I'm not as "retarded" as the other substitutes they've had.

 

[neonlyte]

Compassion.

Not in the simplistic sense of sympathy. Compassion starts with yourself. Come to terms with you own failings and weaknesses before you extend compassion to others.

Ambition.

Never give up on the idea that something can be achieved. More importantly, the desire to achieve must embrace others (for me) else it would be the hollowest of achievements.

Failure.

To succeed, requires an understanding of failure, of rejection... it's how I measure success.

 

[mellowgyrl]

The sixth graders tell me I'm not as "retarded" as the other substitutes they've had.

That's a compliment if I've ever heard one! LOL


Introspection is hard for me. I coudl tell you what makes other people special...but myself? Hmmmm....that's a tough one!

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The younger kids all want to be in my class when they get to the sixth grade and their parents ask for them.

People at district office are a little afraid of me.

My doggy loves me.

 

[English Lady]

Just the title made me think of a sentimental song by Graham Kendrick:

"I'm special because God has loved me
For He gave the best thing that He had to save me
His own Son Jesus, crucified to take the blame
For all the bad things I have done."

And this is it for me, the key to why I'm special.

 

[Fallenfromgrace]

Why does there have to be something special about everyone? I don't beleive that the individual qualities we have are special- as i beleive this to mean something special is also unique- because the person sitting across the train from me doesnt have it.

Perhaps the combination of qualities we have is 'special' but i don't think there is one thing that makes everyone special. Sure some people certainly have traits and talents a rare few others have. But the general population are not special in my eyes.

And that is where i sit with this, i am not special, there is nothing about me that isn't given or moderated by someone else, that is special about me.

 

[impressive]

You pointed it out in the other thread.

 

[rgraham666]

Empathy. You have to work really hard to get me not to care about you.

Intelligence. I'm pretty good at cutting through the shit.

Imagination. I'm always wondering 'What if?', 'How about?' and 'Then what.'

 

[Liar]

I'm an ad-hoc renaissance man. I'm better than the average guy at a lot of things. Not much better, just a tad bit ahead of the bell curve, and there is almost always someone around who is better than me (because that's their expertise). But I'm good enough to do a good enough job in many diciplines, from artistic to practical to administrative, without really making an effort.

Though, if people start asking for excellence, I'm screwed.

 

[Nirvanadragones]

What about you?

I'm able to see and understand things at an "angle". I don't only look at something the way most people do. And that changes my perspective, and grants me the ability to see further than the obvious.

I'm a good listener and I am good at giving, when I choose to give.

I'm a good parent.

 

[Spawn_of_Cloudy]

The people on this board with their big words and correct grammar make me feel stupid >.> Does this count as a special thing?

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Nothing.

Nothing makes me special.

I do that myself.

 

[sweetness6280]

Nothing.

Liar.

My personal observations of you:

Wonderful parent.

Faithful friend.

Generous spirit.

Inquisitive mind.


Nothing special. Except to the people you have touched.

 

[Boota]

My big black dick.

It's only special because I'm white.

 

[secretme]

Compassion.

Not in the simplistic sense of sympathy. Compassion starts with yourself. Come to terms with you own failings and weaknesses before you extend compassion to others.

Ambition.

Never give up on the idea that something can be achieved. More importantly, the desire to achieve must embrace others (for me) else it would be the hollowest of achievements.

Failure.

To succeed, requires an understanding of failure, of rejection... it's how I measure success.

I REALLY wanna claim this one for myself... I'd like a poster of it to put on my wall... Kind of reminder.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I am the king fo typos.

 

[Katyusha]

I can understand why Fallen would feel that very few people are actually special, because when I look around at a crowd of people who are all behaving like sheep or lemmings or cattle, I have a hard time believing that EVERYONE has something special about them. If everyone is special, then nobody is special.

However, except for a small number of asshats, most people touch at least one person's life in a way that nobody else has, or will. Maybe many of these people have touched others' lives in similar ways, but there was someone in their life at some point that they touched in a completely unique way.

That ability is what makes people special and unique. Many of us have been there for someone, or did something for someone, or helped someone, and they appreciated it and thanked us for it, but there was that ONE person who, either by their attitude, their behavior, their empathy, whatever, did something that none of the rest of us were able to do.

======

As for what makes me special, I've been told that I'm not empathetic, but rather empathic. As in, I can literally feel what someone else is feeling, even if I've never been where they are.

 

[The_Fool]

I am the king fo typos.

I am confused.....I though you were a queer duck....

 

[Liar]

I am confused.....I though you were a queer duck....

Are those mutually exclusive?

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I am confused.....I though you were a queer duck....

Maybe, but there are thousand of other queer ducks out there. That's nothing special.

Are those mutually exclusive?

Queer ducks are actually excellent typists.