Yesterday in conversation the boyfriend mentioned this quote
It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice.
That got me thinking. I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment, but I disagree with the things you might assume because of the sentiment. It's not mutually exclusive to be nice and important. Just because you are important, doesn't mean you can't also be nice. Being nice is not necessarily better or worse than being important. Being nice makes it easier to get along with people and have a better time. It's social lubrication. I also think it helps having a positive outlook - as long as you don't put yourself into the victim role.
Importance is a value judgment. So is being smart. (And so is being nice.) Different people value these characteristics differently. Some see intelligence/smarts as the top of the totem pole. Some people will do anything to be important. But can one say that being important is better/worse than being smart? (or being right?) Well... you could say that - but that's based on your personal judgment and don't be mad when someone has a different point of view.
These are variables. And from one point of view, one variable might seem better then another, but in the grand scheme, there is really no difference - except on the micro level.
Which reminds me of something I've been pondering recently - relativity. I've been thinking about Buckminister Fuller's quote: We are all astronauts aboard a little spaceship called Earth.
Everyday I wake up in the same bed. I live in the same house, I walk my dog on the same streets, I am the same person. It's the same bed, but it's not in the same position. Nothing is fixed - even on terra firma. Everything is changing, moving, I'm moving right now, sitting a my desk in weho wishing for a cup of coffee.
This has little impact on my life. A few days ago I was completely unaware of being on a moving planet through "outer space". But being aware of this constant movement can change the way I think about things and how I interact with people.
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