Pigeonholed

Over my life I tended to find many people uninteresting because I felt they had little to say. Many were nice enough but missing a profundity that inspired me to have long conversations with them. With work colleagues the delivery of goals filled much of the conversation over coffees which included gripes about the management. Outside of work many I met seemed wrapped up in the more trivial and mundane pursuits of life and had trouble or disinterest in moving beyond them.

I looked for deep insight but slowly realized over time that different people have a grasp on other important facets of life. Kindness, patience and empathy were not qualities that came from education but instead from a well of social intelligence that many intellectuals lacked. I realized that the aim of each person should be to elevate themselves in all areas to become truly whole. Critical thinking was a key element no doubt, but the softer human qualities needed to follow as well.

Some of the interactions which have most stayed with me have been with people who aren't intellectual giants but nevertheless possess a quietness of spirit and a natural and friendly disposition which disarmed you of any impetus you might have had to pigeonhole them.

They were real and they were themselves and that was enough.