This is a truth and it is good truth ——> “Identity is not given once and for all; it is built up and transformed throughout a person’s life.”
Built up. Transformed. Throughout. <—— Those three terms are spot on.
Identity is not stagnate. But not always built up. Sometimes it is built down. I’m thinking of addiction leading job loss leading to homelessness leading to suicide.
We are being transformed. Up or down or both. And YES, it is throughout our entire life.
Yes, to the three questions. I would add that for me at least, the first two questions ought to be pondered in the negative as well as the positive. Sometimes, in some ways, I am “quietly becoming something” less.
And I agree with that. While the questions focus on the positive side, we can not neglect that same goes for the negative side.
Once in my life, I felt discomfortable when people told me that I wasn’t the same anymore, as if change was a problem. And when I thought deeply about it, one thing became clear: we can not always stay the same. We evolve, we learn and unlearn things, we go through different seasons in life and these seasons change us along the way.
This piece is evocative and articulate. Your close familiarity with nature is a great advantage for you, as so much insight springs from observation of nature. I think, since you have the ability to capture a reader’s attention, you could afford to make your pieces a bit longer and expand more on your point. Sorry to sound like a school teacher - just take it as an old guy rambling on!
The whole chapter counts about 2000 words. I was afraid it could appear two long. since Substack favors more the short form, I split it in 3 pieces. This is the first one.
And no worry if you sound like school teacher, that shows me that you care and want help me to get better. Like a mentor. So, I truly appreciate it.
I've read commentary from one Substack writer who experimented and found they got the most engagement at about 1600 words. Unfortunately I didn't keep a record so I can't refer you to the source, but it's something to think about. Some folks recommend doing a mix of short pieces, say 300 words, along with less frequent long pieces. There's obviously a diversity of opinions on this question, and a lot depends on what works for each individual writer, of course.
This is a truth and it is good truth ——> “Identity is not given once and for all; it is built up and transformed throughout a person’s life.”
Built up. Transformed. Throughout. <—— Those three terms are spot on.
Identity is not stagnate. But not always built up. Sometimes it is built down. I’m thinking of addiction leading job loss leading to homelessness leading to suicide.
We are being transformed. Up or down or both. And YES, it is throughout our entire life.
Yes, to the three questions. I would add that for me at least, the first two questions ought to be pondered in the negative as well as the positive. Sometimes, in some ways, I am “quietly becoming something” less.
Thank you for reading and for your comment.
And I agree with that. While the questions focus on the positive side, we can not neglect that same goes for the negative side.
Once in my life, I felt discomfortable when people told me that I wasn’t the same anymore, as if change was a problem. And when I thought deeply about it, one thing became clear: we can not always stay the same. We evolve, we learn and unlearn things, we go through different seasons in life and these seasons change us along the way.
This is well said. “We learn and unlearn things…these seasons change us along the way."
One of the answers to “Who are you?” is “I am someone who changes for better and for worse, by internal and external forces .
Indeed, you're right. That's kinda one of the answer for the question "Who am I?"
I like caterpillars. All those tiny crawly feet, the undulating way they move — and let‘s never forget the wise one from Alice ;)
I almost forgot that one
This piece is evocative and articulate. Your close familiarity with nature is a great advantage for you, as so much insight springs from observation of nature. I think, since you have the ability to capture a reader’s attention, you could afford to make your pieces a bit longer and expand more on your point. Sorry to sound like a school teacher - just take it as an old guy rambling on!
Thank you for your comments.
The whole chapter counts about 2000 words. I was afraid it could appear two long. since Substack favors more the short form, I split it in 3 pieces. This is the first one.
And no worry if you sound like school teacher, that shows me that you care and want help me to get better. Like a mentor. So, I truly appreciate it.
Thank you 🙏🏼
I've read commentary from one Substack writer who experimented and found they got the most engagement at about 1600 words. Unfortunately I didn't keep a record so I can't refer you to the source, but it's something to think about. Some folks recommend doing a mix of short pieces, say 300 words, along with less frequent long pieces. There's obviously a diversity of opinions on this question, and a lot depends on what works for each individual writer, of course.
In this case I think I would do it for the next article.
Thank you for the insight. That means a lot to me