The Buffet Story - Are our plates the same size?
Once a kooky old man told me a story. It has stuck in my head for years. It isn't a literal story... but I found it an interesting concept.
The kooky old man said before we came into existence, we were all standing in a buffet line. On the line are several things to choose from. Beauty. Intelligence. Kindness. Strength.
You know, various human traits.
And, so we were all given a plate, each the same size. We can fill up the plate with whatever we want. But, each plate can only fit so much.
In other words, we're all balanced people. Some may have more of one thing than another, but in the end- we all have the same size plate. Our traits are just distributed differently.
(Of course, I had to make the quip that some people tripped on their way out of line. LOL).
What do you think? Are people an even balance of positive traits, some just more noticeable immediately noticeable than others? Or, do some people hit the jackpot- while others get the short end of the stick?
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9 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I don't think we're an even balance. Check out 'Theories of Multiple Intelligences'. Might add some interesting points to the conversation?? Maybe??
farmboy2017
Level 7
Dec 8, 2017
0
Some people have a saucer. They never even see the plate. The plate is out of reach for whatever reason. Socio-economic, cognitive, psychiatric, et al., I'm just happy to have a small plate and accompanying cutlery.
morefutility
Level 2
Nov 20, 2017
0
This is the nature over nature debate. It used to be believed that it was nurture over nature 80:20 but now with the study of genetics and genome mapping it is believe to be nature 80% over nurture 20%. This explains a lot to me a children in a family all grow up in the same conditions yet all turn out differently.
Hugene2002
Level 7
Nov 20, 2017
0
I find that sort of predetermination to smell not so different from the biblical sort. What impetus is there for self-determinism if the four score and twenty men getting in to heaven have already been chosen. Where is the role of will in this bargain? Also, what about invironmental factors influencing genetics? For example, alcoholism is believed to have a genetic, biological component. Let's say then that I am a first generation alcoholic, and I'm training my children to be alcoholics using modeling and behavior modification techniques. Let's then suppose my children are successfully turned. Do their children have a genetic predisposition? When does a learned behavior begin to modify the human body, altering genetic code?
Well, philosophically speaking, there is no absolute, and therefore no necessary judgment or good or evil. There is value and talent in every different perspective, and we are all different perspectives. For every benefit there is a consequence, for every blessing there is a curse. What matters is the perspective from which it is viewed, or the way in which it is used.
Who can say something is better or worse without naming the field?
JHeyoka
Level 5
Nov 20, 2017
0
Not to be "that guy" but not everyone is born with the same ability to think and/or move as others. Some are born brain dead. So no I do not think that we are all balanced. Now if we want to broaden the story to include things such as the place where we live, have supports etc.. then possibly. But some people just need more than other people do right from birth, so I would have to answer your question with a no.
The story does sound like something someone would say to child going through tough times to give them strength though.
Malhavok
Level 4
Nov 20, 2017
0
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