Do you REALLY think you're special?

[booNyzarC]

My image is simply from a game..

Seriously I think you are grasping at straws trying to get me to concede to something that I sincerely don't think is valid.

You are kind but I am simply being honest.

Thanks.

You are special by merely existing. Nobody in history could have had the impact that you have had on the world. Nobody. Except you.

There is no chance that any other human being who has ever lived would have been where you have been when you were there, touched the lives that you touched along that path, and impacted the course of events for each and every person from that moment forward. Were it not for you, I would not be typing this right now. Your impact is unique and by association that makes you unique.

Thanks for being you Ryu. Obstinately refusing to accept any special redeeming qualities about yourself and all.

But I hear ya. I'm not special either.

[Bendy Demon]

PHYSICAL appearance, not your avatar. Am I really a giant turtle with a shell resembling a flying saucer?

You mean Gamera? I don't know..maybe.

As for my real appearance...I still fail to see how that translates into "special" or "unique".

I'm just not seeing it.

You are special by merely existing. Nobody in history could have had the impact that you have had on the world. Nobody. Except you.

Do you really know that for sure? With nearly seven billion people on this planet, how can you really know that my supposed impact is anymore unique or "meaningful" than anyone else?

Were it not for you, I would not be typing this right now.

Yes..you would.

Your impact is unique and by association that makes you unique.

Those bolded words?? You lost me on that one.

Obstinately refusing to accept any special redeeming qualities about yourself and all

Not a refusal. I simply do not see it at all.

There is no chance that any other human being who has ever lived would have been where you have been when you were there,

...That simply made my head hurt.

and impacted the course of events for each and every person from that moment forward.

You are fatally over estimating my impact and assumed value.

Thanks...I guess.

[booNyzarC]

Do you really know that for sure? With nearly seven billion people on this planet, how can you really know that my supposed impact is anymore unique or "meaningful" than anyone else?

Absolutely and without question. I know that for sure.

Yes..you would.

No, I wouldn't.

Those bolded words?? You lost me on that one.

I wrote that incorrectly. Your impact is unique. Only you could have had that impact. There is no association really, you and your impact are one and the same. That makes you unique.

Not a refusal. I simply do not see it at all.

That's alright, perhaps some day you will.

...That simply made my head hurt.

No reason for that to hurt, it is simple reality. You were born. From that point forward you have lived in one contiguous stream along the path of your life. Nobody else has lived your life. Nobody else has walked in your shoes and experienced the things that only you have experienced. Nobody else has had the unique interactions that you've had with the world. Nobody. Only you.

You are fatally over estimating my impact and assumed value.

Thanks...I guess.

There is nothing fatal about my estimations in this regard and I didn't assign value. Although I have no doubt that your impact on the world has been of value. You've had a valuable impact here on this forum, for example, and that is but a tiny fraction of the overall impact you've had with your life up to this very moment.

[the1truebat]

You're only as great as you think you are.

[Bendy Demon]

No, I wouldn't.

..would so...

That's alright, perhaps some day you will.

I am curious as to why it is assumed I should or must see "it".

Does it actually matter?

You were born. From that point forward you have lived in one contiguous stream along the path of your life.

Uhh..yeah. Most people do.

Although I have no doubt that your impact on the world has been of value.

Nope.

See..the thing is that I sincerely do not see my existence, my "experiences" or anything as being of any actual value or importance.

I just find the concept extremely alien to me. My experiences are not really any different from anyone else's..my perception doesn't change their reality.

I just..don't see it...I do not see anything I do as being unique in any sense of the term and, as I mentioned earlier, when you live in a world of billions of people, I think the idea of "uniqueness" gets lost and only exists as a matter of perception and not reality.

You're only as great as you think you are.

Good. Because I know I'm not.

However I think I have unintentionally hogged too much time on this subject. It's someone elses turn.

Edited March 31, 2011 by Ryu

[Bracket]

I'm with you Ryu.

[booNyzarC]

Hmmm... You both honestly don't think that you've had a unique impact on the world that no other human being could have possibly had?

[Bracket]

Hmmm... You both honestly don't think that you've had a unique impact on the world that no other human being could have possibly had?

Well, i highly doubt it.

[booNyzarC]

Well, i highly doubt it.

Could anyone else but you have woken up this morning (presumably in your bed, but hey, maybe you got lucky?), gone about your day, and touched the world in the exact way that you did today?

All I'm saying is that only you could have this experience and impact. I'm not attributing greatness to it, although perhaps there was and I wouldn't know at this point. But there is a definite uniqueness. And each life you've touched today, including mine, has changed course as a result, however minutely. Or would you disagree with that?

[arenee]

Could anyone else but you have woken up this morning (presumably in your bed, but hey, maybe you got lucky?), gone about your day, and touched the world in the exact way that you did today?

All I'm saying is that only you could have this experience and impact. I'm not attributing greatness to it, although perhaps there was and I wouldn't know at this point. But there is a definite uniqueness. And each life you've touched today, including mine, has changed course as a result, however minutely. Or would you disagree with that?

I think as a teacher they can touch lives everyday, however, I don't think it makes us special....maybe it's just me.

(and not that you were asking me, but I didn't get lucky...Australia is far!)

[booNyzarC]

I think as a teacher they can touch lives everyday, however, I don't think it makes us special....maybe it's just me.

(and not that you were asking me, but I didn't get lucky...Australia is far!)

Special is a subjective term. What I consider special others might consider trivial and likewise a trivial thing for me could be completely special to someone else. But what I'm talking about is uniqueness, and the reason that I entered this conversation was someone denying their uniqueness.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't see the confusion about this question of uniqueness.

[nakajima01]

Just voted "No",uhmm duh!

If my "abilities" would be like reading, precognition, "third eye", clairvoyance.. I'd wish for a higher IQ instead

But if by "abilities" you mean those in X-Men and/or other superheroes, then hell yeah I'm a whole lot better than you boring humans! Hyohyohyo )

And lastly, the only thing that makes those people (that brag their abilities) better at is by being annoying.

[Bracket]

Special is a subjective term. What I consider special others might consider trivial and likewise a trivial thing for me could be completely special to someone else. But what I'm talking about is uniqueness, and the reason that I entered this conversation was someone denying their uniqueness.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't see the confusion about this question of uniqueness.

I'm not saying we're not unique, i'm just saying that that uniqueness is meaningless in the larger scheme of things.

[arenee]

Special is a subjective term. What I consider special others might consider trivial and likewise a trivial thing for me could be completely special to someone else. But what I'm talking about is uniqueness, and the reason that I entered this conversation was someone denying their uniqueness.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't see the confusion about this question of uniqueness.

Well, I think you're unique BooNy. I think we're all unique...what a boring world if we weren't huh?

[booNyzarC]

I'm not saying we're not unique, i'm just saying that that uniqueness is meaningless in the larger scheme of things.

I appreciate the clarification Bracket.

I'll refrain from further comment at this point. I don't want to take the thread any further off topic than I already have. Apologies to the OP.

Edit:

Well, I think you're unique BooNy. I think we're all unique...what a boring world if we weren't huh?

Thanks arenee, I agree that we all are unique.

Edited March 31, 2011 by booNyzarC

[Habitat]

A prophet has no honour in his own land or time, or so the saying goes, so if you are depending on the assessment of others around you to validate your self-belief, it may not be forthcoming !

[Sakari]

I'll say right now , I do not know anyone else that would wear ugly purple night pants and put it on video , than post it here....

Unless that person were unique ......

[Habitat]

I am more unique than all youse, for sure.

[Bendy Demon]

Hmmm... You both honestly don't think that you've had a unique impact on the world that no other human being could have possibly had?

That's right.

Special is a subjective term

Yes. As well as incredibly ambiguous.

But there is a definite uniqueness. And each life you've touched today, including mine, has changed course as a result, however minutely. Or would you disagree with that?

I don't know. I just don't see how it would. I am a faceless person here. My views aren't really any different from Bracket's or Agent Mulders.

I may say it in slightly different words but it is redundant really.

I'll refrain from further comment at this point. I don't want to take the thread any further off topic than I already have. Apologies to the OP.

Same here.

[Nadia B.]

It gets down to what you understand "special" to mean, I think. I have met people that were especially obnoxious, others especially polite, etc. It is just a matter of categorization in that sense. Used as an adjective to boost your own, or your children's ego though, is especially irritating to most people. And essentially anti-social. Special K is pretty damned unpalatable too, IMO.

The original poll was more asking if you think you have abilities, do you feel you're better than those who don't. Special just seems to be the current favorite term others use to point out the ability-haver thinks they're better. By the way, I like Special K with red berries.

You are special by merely existing. Nobody in history could have had the impact that you have had on the world. Nobody. Except you.

There is no chance that any other human being who has ever lived would have been where you have been when you were there, touched the lives that you touched along that path, and impacted the course of events for each and every person from that moment forward. Were it not for you, I would not be typing this right now. Your impact is unique and by association that makes you unique.

Thanks for being you Ryu. Obstinately refusing to accept any special redeeming qualities about yourself and all.

Actually Boon, I hadn't even taken this view into consideration. I do believe things we do, the life we live, the paths we take all change things, even if they're in very miniscule ways. We do affect others' lives, but most times don't even realize it. You can see from the outside looking at someone else how someone changed that person somehow, but it's harder to see ourselves doing it.

But if by "abilities" you mean those in X-Men and/or other superheroes, then hell yeah I'm a whole lot better than you boring humans! Hyohyohyo )

Gah!

And lastly, the only thing that makes those people (that brag their abilities) better at is by being annoying.

Yes. It can be. I do think sometimes people think when someone is simply talking about and discussing their abilities, that they're bragging when they're really not. Of course, there ARE plenty that do really brag.

I appreciate the clarification Bracket.

I'll refrain from further comment at this point. I don't want to take the thread any further off topic than I already have. Apologies to the OP.

Edit:

Thanks arenee, I agree that we all are unique.

No worries, Boon. I like the point you've made and don't mind at all.

I'll say right now , I do not know anyone else that would wear ugly purple night pants and put it on video , than post it here....

Unless that person were unique ......

Yup, you've touched us enough to start a fan club for your purple pants.

[RainGirl]

Personally, I don't think I'm special for having psychic abilities seeing as everyone in my family does, too.

[cookies]

Im normal and im proud of it. Why would i want to convince myself that i am something more than others, i would just lie to myself anyway

[EternalBlizzard]

everyone is special because no one can be best in everything but everyone is good at something

[Nadia B.]

Yess!!!! I'm a total X-man ninja warrior! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! (5 votes [27.78%])

Ummm... nooooo.... Duh (8 votes [44.44%])

I don't want to talk about it, because it's just a pain in the butt (1 votes [5.56%])

My mom says I'm special, so it MUST be true! (4 votes [22.22%])

Well, it seems most of the X-men ninjas are remaining silent on the subject, as well as the mama's boys and girls. The people posting though, seem to agree these things don't make you better than anyone else. Therefore, I suppose I'm at a loss.

Really, if people with abilities want to brag, they'd chime in and say something. They haven't. Which leads me to believe most of us are fairly normal in our thinking that we're still just human and no better than our neighbor. So why exactly do we hear so much of what I was talking about in the first post? Persons calling persons attention-whores or "thinks they're special" and whatnot.

As we all know, there's not been a lot of accredited scientific study into these areas, therefore no proof a person with abilities provides will ever be sufficient. But when they try, and sometimes even present themselves in a common sense manner, they get shot down. To me, when someone says "Well, they just think they can do these things and they want to be special", that indicates the speaker has an inability to respond with a clear and common sense thought. Much like when someone else says, "I don't have to prove anything to you". BOTH things are cop outs.

And just perhaps a good lot of the "I don't have to prove myself" reactions are BECAUSE they know people won't take their proof into consideration because it wasn't done in a lab or published in scientific journals by respected scientists.

[Viral]

I have the power of love.