Essence

[annxietty]

I had a teacher recently that told us that when we are kids we have a true essence, then when we grow up we lose this essence and become something that is not our true selves, that the purpose of our life was to find again this essence we lost... She talked about how a normal 7yo has an essence, and that essence is who they are... something like that lol... well for a while I thought about this like I agreed you know? I have no personality or ideas of my own so when someone talks to me and says things like this I just open my mind to try to accept other people's beliefs and sometimes make them my own... but recently I just realized something... you see, I happen to live with my 7yo nephew.... and he has no essence at all, not that I can see at least... he consumes media 24/7 (youtube, netflix, videogames), of course its media that doesnt help him in any way, but Ive come to realize he just imitates the youtubers he sees in those videos, he developed a mexican accent (because he watches mexican youtubers), he only likes things that he sees on those videos, he has nothing he likes just because he likes it, I dont know how to explain this, when I was a kid I was always lost in my imagination, making up stories, roleplaying with my friends (I was like a leader lol life really fucked me up), I always loved drawing... of course I watched tv too but not to this extent... Maybe Im asking too much for a 7yo, I know, but Its just sad how he is always watching a screen, imitating other people, he doesnt have imagination, he doesnt want to learn anything because he finds boring the process of getting good at something, he does horribly in school mainly because he behaves like he is a baby (because people treat him like a baby, even though his teacher has already expressed concern about this issue)... maybe what my teacher said was true in some cases, in other times...

 

[Throwawayacc3]

I had a teacher recently that told us that when we are kids we have a true essence, then when we grow up we lose this essence and become something that is not our true selves, that the purpose of our life was to find again this essence we lost... She talked about how a normal 7yo has an essence, and that essence is who they are... something like that lol... well for a while I thought about this like I agreed you know? I have no personality or ideas of my own so when someone talks to me and says things like this I just open my mind to try to accept other people's beliefs and sometimes make them my own... but recently I just realized something... you see, I happen to live with my 7yo nephew.... and he has no essence at all, not that I can see at least... he consumes media 24/7 (youtube, netflix, videogames), of course its media that doesnt help him in any way, but Ive come to realize he just imitates the youtubers he sees in those videos, he developed a mexican accent (because he watches mexican youtubers), he only likes things that he sees on those videos, he has nothing he likes just because he likes it, I dont know how to explain this, when I was a kid I was always lost in my imagination, making up stories, roleplaying with my friends (I was like a leader lol life really fucked me up), I always loved drawing... of course I watched tv too but not to this extent... Maybe Im asking too much for a 7yo, I know, but Its just sad how he is always watching a screen, imitating other people, he doesnt have imagination, he doesnt want to learn anything because he finds boring the process of getting good at something, he does horribly in school mainly because he behaves like he is a baby (because people treat him like a baby, even though his teacher has already expressed concern about this issue)... maybe what my teacher said was true in some cases, in other times...

It depends on the context of the media and how the interaction is. I did art - I liked listening to music that was diverse in instrument (linkin park) and the media I delivered into was colourful, thoughtful, engaging (Final Fantasy X, Sonic Adventure 2, Super Mario Sunshine, etc).

The stuff today is complete trash. I make art videos and I've noticed that the shorts get way more attention than a 10 minute long video. In the statistics it says that average viewing time is 24 seconds. 24 SECONDS. That's how long the attention span is for the majority. Can you imagine if you are set to watch a movie and 1 minute though you say "I'm bored next thing". 0 comprehensive - I've walked out of 1 movie over 13 years ago after about 30 minutes as it was shocking (devil wears prada - it was atrocious).

Yeah unfortunately your nephew is in taking information, media and other peoples from spiteful mutants. He'll be completely corrupted eventually (quicker than my generation millennials). Depending on his personality or any disorders he's going to accept it or snap. Snap is the point that he figures out about this website.

It's so messed up.

 

[INTJme]

I think what the teacher referred to was one's innate personality, which, in this day and age has become impossible to flesh out naturally because we're exposed to thousands of "influencers", be it content creators, targeted advertisements, etc. from a very young age. Kids don't even get a chance to explore their own thoughts before a thousand people already shape their mind.

Everybody and everything demands your attention and, unfortunately, we succumb to them. It's very common to see nowadays that people completely transform their personalities for fame, money, success or whatever it is they seek. The "authenticity" is lost in the process. Lots of well-meaning, innocent people become corrupt once they get a taste of power. It's unfortunate but that's how things stand.

I don't know how old you are but as someone who grew up in the 90s, the world we live in today seems alien. Simpler times meant we were forced to get creative to pass time, actually go out to play, appreciate nature and have a sense of community and belongingness. None of that exists anymore and it's saddening.

 

[Throwawayacc3]

I think what the teacher referred to was one's innate personality, which, in this day and age has become impossible to flesh out naturally because we're exposed to thousands of "influencers", be it content creators, targeted advertisements, etc. from a very young age. Kids don't even get a chance to explore their own thoughts before a thousand people already shape their mind.

Everybody and everything demands your attention and, unfortunately, we succumb to them. It's very common to see nowadays that people completely transform their personalities for fame, money, success or whatever it is they seek. The "authenticity" is lost in the process. Lots of well-meaning, innocent people become corrupt once they get a taste of power. It's unfortunate but that's how things stand.

I don't know how old you are but as someone who grew up in the 90s, the world we live in today seems alien. Simpler times meant we were forced to get creative to pass time, actually go out to play, appreciate nature and have a sense of community and belongingness. None of that exists anymore and it's saddening.

It would be nice to have access to a venom suit and just take out all these "influencers", bully's, robbers, abusers, animal abusers, etc.

Would be pretty purposeful at that point lol.

Edit: yes venom. You can eat the bad guys.

 

[vadim]

I disagree with this teacher on people having an "essence" as children. People definitely tend to lose their childlike sense of curiosity and wonder as they get older and become more inhibited and self-denying as they get older, but the way you describe what the teacher said to you makes it seem like she's arguing that the self is already fully formed in childhood, or at least some core aspect of it is, and I don't think that's the case. I definitely don't think children have any understanding of their "true selves". I think children are more or less blank slates waiting to find out who they are, and it really comes down to their environment whether they end up with a strong sense of identity or not. I think they all tend to be highly suggestible and reflect what they're exposed to, which might explain the difference between your nephew currently and what you remember from your own childhood (I'm guessing it didn't have same exposure to screens).

I think people definitely lose something between childhood and adulthood and lose sight of what's in their best interest, but I don't believe a child has a fully formed anything, certainly not a "true self".

 

[Throwawayacc3]

I disagree with this teacher on people having an "essence" as children. People definitely tend to lose their childlike sense of curiosity and wonder as they get older and become more inhibited and self-denying as they get older, but the way you describe what the teacher said to you makes it seem like she's arguing that the self is already fully formed in childhood, or at least some core aspect of it is, and I don't think that's the case. I definitely don't think children have any understanding of their "true selves". I think children are more or less blank slates waiting to find out they are, and it really comes down to their environment whether they end up with a strong sense of identity or not. I think they all tend to be highly suggestible and reflect what they're exposed to, which might explain the difference between your nephew currently and what you remember from your own childhood (I'm guessing it didn't have same exposure to screens).

I think people definitely lose something between childhood and adulthood and lose sight of what's in their best interest, but I don't believe a child has a fully formed anything, certainly not a "true self".

I read your comment but your cat profile pic is the "bees knees!"

 

[Davey36000]

I think the new 7yr old essence is now 1year old... Kids being brainwashed sooner and sooner...

 

[vadim]

I read your comment but your cat profile pic is the "bees knees!"

Thank you!! Louis Wain's art is one of the few things in life that brings me real joy.

 

[Throwawayacc3]

Thank you!! Louis Wain's art is one of the few things in life that brings me real joy.

I have so much art I've done since last year because of massive depression and really want to share it but it'll reveal me. Fuck. What a prison :(

 

[vadim]

I have so much art I've done since last year because of massive depression and really want to share it but it'll reveal me. Fuck. What a prison :(

Not to diminish the way you've been feeling, but I wish depression made me create art. Instead I've just had artist's block for the past 6 (7? 8? idek at this point) years, I don't think I can rightfully consider myself an artist anymore. I'm sorry you feel like you can't share it :(

 

[Throwawayacc3]

Not to diminish the way you've been feeling, but I wish depression made me create art. Instead I've just had artist's block for the past 6 (7? 8? idek at this point) years, I don't think I can rightfully consider myself an artist anymore. I'm sorry you feel like you can't share it :(

It's not art in the sense of I'm happy doing it. It's just art - putting stuff on an A3 page to make time go by. It's hardcore coping at this point. I didn't do art for a level becuase in GCSE teachers said my art was wrong. It wasn't part of the "exam" . Crazy. Art can be wrong lmao. I didn't do art for a decade + because of those comments and what they said.

I think if medically I get more fucked up and have a time limit then at that point I'll just post everything here. Nothing yet and still waiting on the damn autism diagnosis (5 months and counting).

 

[vadim]

It's not art in the sense of I'm happy doing it. It's just art - putting stuff on an A3 page to make time go by. It's hardcore coping at this point. I didn't do art for a level becuase in GCSE teachers said my art was wrong. It wasn't part of the "exam" . Crazy. Art can be wrong lmao. I didn't do art for a decade + because of those comments and what they said.

I think if medically I get more fucked up and have a time limit then at that point I'll just post everything here. Nothing yet and still waiting on the damn autism diagnosis (5 months and counting).

I did art for school and it made me even more miserable to have to churn out shit that wasn't what I wanted to make. The resentment and burn out might have something to do with why I haven't the energy for it anymore.

Fingers crossed for you with the autism diagnosis. I'm actually trying to get assessed for ADHD at the moment and I think at this point I might just self-immolate publicly and blame the failing health system for it.

 

[Throwawayacc3]

I did art for school and it made me even more miserable to have to churn out shit that wasn't what I wanted to make. The resentment and burn out might have something to do with why I haven't the energy for it anymore.

Fingers crossed for you with the autism diagnosis. I'm actually trying to get assessed for ADHD at the moment and I think at this point I might just self-immolate publicly and blame the failing health system for it.

If you are in the UK and doing it through the NHS it's bloody impossible. Initially they treated my "depression" only with pills . Always the answers - lots and lots of anti depressants. Not working? UP THE DOSAGE. 100mg to 200mg. Clown world everywhere you go. I'd trust an actual clown more than the majority of these medical professionals.

 

[vadim]

If you are in the UK and doing it through the NHS it's bloody impossible. Initially they treated my "depression" only with pills . Always the answers - lots and lots of anti depressants. Not working? UP THE DOSAGE. 100mg to 200mg. Clown world everywhere you go. I'd trust an actual clown more than the majority of these medical professionals.

I'm in Ireland but it's the same story here, doctors just give you anti depressants when they're like "we don't know how to fix you, we're just going to keep throwing shit at the wall hoping it sticks".

 

[Throwawayacc3]

I'm in Ireland but it's the same story here, doctors just give you anti depressants when they're like "we don't know how to fix you, we're just going to keep throwing shit at the wall hoping it sticks".

Medical goons everywhere. It's hell.

 

[sanitystruggle]

I had a teacher recently that told us that when we are kids we have a true essence, then when we grow up we lose this essence and become something that is not our true selves, that the purpose of our life was to find again this essence we lost...

Just my humble opinion but personally I think that's a load of romantic crap. A 7 year old is still rapidly developing. If there's any such thing as an essence in any of us it's the totality of our life experience, good and bad. I wouldn't pay much regard to the idea. Your nephew is still young and has a long way to go to become the person he's going to be.