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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank
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To: 2MAR$ who wrote (72487)8/16/2003 9:59:15 AM
From: Lane3  Read Replies (3) of 82486
 
Yes, I would so say.

There is a danger in corrupting the notion of following one's calling so that it ends up being shallow and selfish. There's also a danger on the other side--that we become puritanical and spiritless. Neither is a Good Thing. Some of the stuff that's been offered here as an alternative to following one's calling borders on unnecessary cross-carrying to my eye.

As the discussion was going on, I pondered if there was not a distinction to be made between a calling and a noble calling, a calling being worthwhile, not shallow and selfish, but not of particular benefit to the rest of society. The thought came to me in the context of the discussion with Foxlette about travel. I have something of a calling to travel. I've done a lot of it and it still pulls hard at me. Is that noble? I think not. It's certainly not in a class with teaching or parenting, for example. But then neither is it ignoble or destructive or shallow or selfish. I wondered about other related callings like those some have to go to sea. Neither noble nor ignoble, methinks, although I suppose one could form a judgment based on whether the person ended up a yachtsman or merchant marine or pirate. Neo's calling to instruct us all on how society works and the right way to do things also occurred to me. Neither high nor low in nobility as callings go, simply a calling.

But then again, I come at things from the perspective of most things being merely different, not necessarily better or worse... <g>
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