Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00489)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Eldon B Tucker <eldon@t...> wrote:


> For certain people at a particular phase of their lives, their greatest 
> voyage of discovery may be in the world of ideas, and having books, 
> magazines, study classes, and like-minded people to talk to is the
greatest 
> blessing. For others, it may be the worst possible waste of time,
and they 
> need to put thinking aside, garden, and simply hike and enjoy
nature. Each 
> of us has a particular need at the moment, and our needs are not
always the 
> same. What seems lifeless and a total waste of time to you or I may
seem the greatest treasure to someone else with different growth needs.
> 
Dear Eldon,

What you write above is undeniably true, and reminds me of a concept
in Jungian psychology. This is the transcendence after age 40, when
we shift from developing our strong suits (primary and secondary
functions) and start to develop our lesser functions. In my case,
as an intuitive thinking type, my younger years focused on the world
of spiritual ideas and organizations. But after 40 there was a marked
shift towards the physical world of sensation and feeling; my main
organizational activity now is with a conservation group focused on
the welfare of a river basin. People who stay fixated on their
dominant functions past mid-life are missing out on the chance to
become more well-rounded. (On a related note, as a librarian I notice
that many people want to read the same kind of book over and over,
while relatively few are seeking growth through reading new and
different types of literature.)

Cheers,

Paul