Prophecy
A prophecy is miracle of knowledge, a declaration or description or representation of
something future. It is beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee, discern or
conjecture. None-the-less, society continuously asks us to rise to level of Nostradamus or Mohammad and speak about the future.
At the age of five, our teachers ask us “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Having no idea, I think I randomly picked a minister because they get to give advice and make speeches. It seemed entertaining. Looking back, my teacher must have thought me to be a complete freak. Interestingly, children in the “Up Series” actually did predict their future quite well at age 7. The ones that had predicted they would attend Eton and Oxford ended up actually attending Eton and Oxford. By 28, most of the children were doing exactly what they thought they would. Perhaps my indecision at five was telling as I am pretty much in that same position (minus thinking being a minister would be entertaining).
As we apply to college or graduate school, institutions ask us where we are going and, as we graduate, our parents ask us the same question as well as if age or deadlines somehow give us the ability to foresee things. When looking for work, interviewers ask us where we will be in five years. I don’t know where I’ll be next Tuesday let alone five years. I am not necessarily being indecisive; I’m being realistic. How can we know for sure who we will be or what we will want? Still, like everyone else, in interviews I lie and tell them that this job is the path to my golden fleece.
I believe many people make prophecies and predictions thinking that by speaking them, the prophecies will somehow become self-fulfilling. Like Oedipus leaving Corinth after hearing of his destiny, people somehow think that they will be successful if they tell everyone that they will be successful. The other explanation for these self-aggrandizing predictions is that they are exercises in self-command. By telling everyone what they will do, they will be more motivated to actually do what they say. Empirically, as shown by the above-mentioned 7-year-old among other things, it does seem to be an effective strategy. Imagine if humility led to success!
Dickens wrote in David Copperfield:
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
Being a champion, forging one’s destiny and pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps seems to be valued these days. It is a far cry from the days of Icarus and Bellerophon when there was such thing as too much ambition. What was the lesson that the Greek were trying to teach with tales like these? Humility to the gods? Sure, but how does that really help people in life?
I would say that when forging a destiny and writing a prophecy, one needs to show humility to the future and one’s future self. The future is filled with unexpected twists and that is what makes life grand. One’s future self may not be made happy by the simple dreams of the younger self. If one is going to craft a plan or prophecy regarding one’s life in order to give oneself direction and motivation, it ought not to be too specific. Something as a cryptic as Revelation might be suitable. Not to mention, it would kind of cool to have a 5-year-plan involving great eagles and serpent’s horns.
something future. It is beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee, discern or
conjecture. None-the-less, society continuously asks us to rise to level of Nostradamus or Mohammad and speak about the future.
At the age of five, our teachers ask us “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Having no idea, I think I randomly picked a minister because they get to give advice and make speeches. It seemed entertaining. Looking back, my teacher must have thought me to be a complete freak. Interestingly, children in the “Up Series” actually did predict their future quite well at age 7. The ones that had predicted they would attend Eton and Oxford ended up actually attending Eton and Oxford. By 28, most of the children were doing exactly what they thought they would. Perhaps my indecision at five was telling as I am pretty much in that same position (minus thinking being a minister would be entertaining).
As we apply to college or graduate school, institutions ask us where we are going and, as we graduate, our parents ask us the same question as well as if age or deadlines somehow give us the ability to foresee things. When looking for work, interviewers ask us where we will be in five years. I don’t know where I’ll be next Tuesday let alone five years. I am not necessarily being indecisive; I’m being realistic. How can we know for sure who we will be or what we will want? Still, like everyone else, in interviews I lie and tell them that this job is the path to my golden fleece.
I believe many people make prophecies and predictions thinking that by speaking them, the prophecies will somehow become self-fulfilling. Like Oedipus leaving Corinth after hearing of his destiny, people somehow think that they will be successful if they tell everyone that they will be successful. The other explanation for these self-aggrandizing predictions is that they are exercises in self-command. By telling everyone what they will do, they will be more motivated to actually do what they say. Empirically, as shown by the above-mentioned 7-year-old among other things, it does seem to be an effective strategy. Imagine if humility led to success!
Dickens wrote in David Copperfield:
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
Being a champion, forging one’s destiny and pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps seems to be valued these days. It is a far cry from the days of Icarus and Bellerophon when there was such thing as too much ambition. What was the lesson that the Greek were trying to teach with tales like these? Humility to the gods? Sure, but how does that really help people in life?
I would say that when forging a destiny and writing a prophecy, one needs to show humility to the future and one’s future self. The future is filled with unexpected twists and that is what makes life grand. One’s future self may not be made happy by the simple dreams of the younger self. If one is going to craft a plan or prophecy regarding one’s life in order to give oneself direction and motivation, it ought not to be too specific. Something as a cryptic as Revelation might be suitable. Not to mention, it would kind of cool to have a 5-year-plan involving great eagles and serpent’s horns.
posted by American Dilettante at
3:06 PM
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