Whate're Thou Art

“Whate'er thou art, act well thy part”, said Shakespeare. But how do you know what 'thou art'?

Since the beginning of time, men and women have wondered what they are. This ancient question however, is even more pressing today. What we are is largely determined by what we think we are. Unfortunately, our thoughts are increasingly held captive by the modern nonsense-culture of television, movies, video games, internet, i-pods and cell phones. This inundation is greatly to the disadvantage of parents who try to teach their children who they are, and of thinking people who are simply trying to get through life. So, just for fun, let's explore the options of who and what we are, in the hopes that in knowing what we are we can then decide how best to 'act well' our part.

Obviously we are human. Being human means that we have the power to reason and give direction to our own lives. We aren't merely the victims of birth and circumstance. The chief obstacle to reason today is distraction. We are so busy working, watching, or playing that all the great thoughts of the past escape our view and we are left with the fluff of mass media trivia. Knowledge is power, but real, valuable knowledge doesn't come by sitting on the couch waiting for it.

Who or what we are also should take into account what we want to be. When you are a child, people always ask you what you want to be when you grow up. I think we should be asking ourselves that question on a daily basis. What am I, and what to I want to be? And, if I want to be something, what am I doing to make it happen. Children are always made to think about their future in terms of employment, as in: “I want to be a doctor, or a fireman”. Adults should realize that those definitions are too narrow. What you are is much bigger than your profession. It encompasses every facet of your personality. You are never done becoming who and what you are until you are done living and every decision, every thought, every act leads you inevitably to what you are.

Part of the problem with the onslaught of media in our day is that it is too easy to compare ourselves with others, or to label ourselves with the current set of popular titles. These deceptive traps are counter-productive in our search for what we are. They sometimes lead us to believe that we are stuck into a certain mode and cannot change it. But, once you decide what you want to be, you immediately have the power to become it. Time, patience and perseverance may be outmoded but they still work.

I once read a story about a woman who claimed that she never had a 'chance' in life. She expressed that view to a man who happened to be traveling through her town giving lectures. He asked her a few questions about her work, trying to find out what she was. She said that she was a mere kitchen helper who pealed potatoes. He asked her where she sat to do her job. She said that she sat on the back step of the building. He asked what the step was made of, and she replied that it was made of bricks. He asked what kind of bricks and she said that she didn't know. So, he gave her his address and told her to write to him and tell him what the brick was made of. A few days later he received her reply, and because of the excellent research she had done on the subject, he was able to print the article and publish it in a Scientific Journal. He sent her a check for the article and then asked her a few more questions and found out that there were ants under the bricks, after which the woman began her research into the types of ants she found. Her articles were published and on the proceeds of her work she was able to travel the world.

“Whate're thou art act well thy part.” Find out what you are, or would like to be. Only then can you 'act well thy part'.