Thankfully, all of the various performances are finished for the year after tonight's school Christmas party. I like seeing Smallsteps perform, but other than that, I don't get much out of them as they are in Finnish. Still, it is fun to see the various kids try their hand at "acting" on stage, which is always painful. It reminded me of the time I was on stage at around seven or eight years of age, playing Rudolph in the school play. My home teacher was also the school drama teacher, and the play was complex for our age group, but I think we did a pretty good job.
From the memory of a seven year old.
I am not a performer.
I don't like the spotlight. I don't even like the areas partially lit in the background. If I had my way, I would just be in the eternal darkness. Unfortunately though, that is rarely the best place to be. Instead, I have to often "pretend" to be more sociable than I am, and be in front of people. As I was saying to a good friend the other day, I have my "trainer personality" that I put on when in front of a group.
We were talking about another mutual friend of ours and an ex-colleague of mine and one he still works with. While this person has to be in front of customers often for their work, they are awkward and strange, with various communication quirks that get in the way of clarity. It isn't an endearing presentation, it is hinderance, not help. It makes me wonder if they are in the right role, as if they aren't willing (or able) to shift their style to suit the needs of the role, perhaps they are better suited elsewhere. Of course, it is very possible for this person to learn how to communicate more clearly with the target audience, but it doesn't mean it is natural.
Why do we put so much weight on natural ability?
Natural ability is great and it is brilliant if it is there as a foundation in a particular skill area oof interest, but putting so much weight on it also means that people feel that they don't have to learn how to be great at something. For instance, while a person may have a natural talent for music, no one has a natural talent to play an instrument. There was no one a thousand years ago that was a natural piano player, considering the piano was only invented 400 years ago. All that kind of skill is learned, even if someone might have some physical benefits to play over others.
When it comes to communication, most of us naturally change our behaviour based on who we are talking to, because most of us have some kind of natural social understanding that automatically shifts the way we speak to a five year old, from a fifty year old. However, I know a few people who talk to five year olds like they are fifty. Suffice to say, it is poor communication.
But anyone can learn to be a great communicator.
At least, anyone can vastly improve if they currently suck. Even people who are introverted. Even people who have autistic tendencies. Even people who hate other people. Because communication is just a set of signals and patterns, where one signal indicates which pattern should be played. For the greatest communicators, they might have a wide range and highly refined set of trigger signals and pattern playbacks, but everyone can improve what is in their own toolbox.
Over the years I have helped many "unnatural" communicators, improve their communication abilities, but it requires a certain amount of acting. But it isn't lying, nor is it being someone else they are not, it is rather using sides of themselves that are less visible, less utilised, and therefore, more uncomfortable to show. Maybe inside each of us is the potential for an academy award winning performance, but most of us will never get over the discomfort of behaving in ways that are not "natural" to us. With natural being, what we are used to doing.
Before any person first sang a note, there must have been natural singers that never utilised their skills. Similarly, there must have been people who had the ear for music before music was ever performed. The hardware was there, but the opportunity was not.
Talent dies on the vine if it is not used.
But talent will only get any person so far, before they hit the ceiling of talented potential, without work. Percentage wise, there are probably just as many talented people as there ever was, but if we aren't applying and trying, failing and approving, our talent is latent talent.
Undiscovered greatness?
We all have excuses for why we aren't good at this or that, and stories of the times we have tried and failed, proving our case. But I suspect a lot of our stories and arguments are just excuses, where we couldn't push through to overcome the feeling of discomfort we all get from the unfamiliar.
For me, even the familiar is uncomfortable, which tends to make me feel pretty downcast about life in general. But perhaps I should look at it in a different way and say, since I am already uncomfortable, I might as well try something different.
The potential is there.
The performance is lacking.
Taraz
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