Some people are naturally more reflective than others... by that, I mean that some people analyze things a great deal while others are content to just take things at face value.
I definitely fall on the refelctive side of the coin. This can be both a good and a bad thing (see, I am even reflective about being reflective... it is a curse).
The good side of being reflective is that you are less likely to be fooled in this life by the lies of others. Another positive aspect of being reflective is that if there is a problem, the reflective person is probably going to be the one to uncover it. This is not a hard and fast rule, clearly... but as a general rule, the analytical/reflective ones are the ones who nail 95 Theses to church doors.
The bad side of being reflective is that you can "reflect" yourself into a corner of paralysis. As noted above, I can see every side of an arguement... which may make me a good politician or diplomat, but it makes decision making very difficult. Another bad aspect of being reflective is that you might miss truth because you second guess it too much. This is especially true for Christians who struggle with "blind faith." A reflective person is not as likely to just accept things because a preacher says them or because of tradition or whatever. The reflective person will likely be more like Thomas who wanted to see/feel the holes in Jesus's hands and side. That can make for a difficult faith journey because much of what we believe as Christians is believed "by faith." I have much more to say on this... but that will have to come later. Much of what I am saying has come to my mind as a result of reading a book entitled The Myth of Certainty by a guy named Daniel Taylor. He explores this issue in a lot more depth.
I bring this up for three reasons:
1. I recently read the book noted above... and it has caused me to think about a lot of things.
2. I tend to be very reflective this time of year.
3. I am curious where others find themselves in the reflective spectrum.
So tell me... on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being extremely non-reflective and 10 being the person who can't decide what socks to wear because he sees so many pros and cons to every pair) where are you?
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21 comments:
I can't decide.
i've been eavesdropping on your blog since jessica put your link up. sorry, but i stay home and i use most of my computer time to read blog entries.
okay, to answer your question - i'm a solid 8.
After much reflection, I'd say I'm an 8, but depending on the circumstances I could be a 7 or a 9... Which probably makes me more of a 9, than an 8, after further reflection... Being reflective can be exhausting at times. :)
I'm going to say I'm right in the middle. The reason I say that is because I tend to be choosey about what I analyze/reflect on. Some things I take at face value (like which socks to wear) because I don't want to spend the time analyzing them...other things I find truly interesting (such as friendships and faith) and I find myself reflecting on them continually. So, I am in the middle - definitely a 5.
I'm cruisin with a 5.0. Sometimes reflective, sometimes retarded.
Aub... is your rag top down so your hair can blow?
it also sounds like there's girlies on stand-by waiting just to say hi, but i bet he just drove by...
I am 9-10 in most respects. Very nice post... gives me a lot to think about... lol.
bet he continued on to a1a beachfront avenue...
i agree w/ ashley...i'm in the middle. i analyze some things, but not all things! Matt on the other hand? ...he analyzes everything i would say he's a 9, but he would probably analyze that and disagree!
It is interesting that no one is saying that they are no reflective. I must be a 10. I can have an extremely hard time making decisions, although I won't say whether or not I have problems determining which pair of socks to wear.
I'm kind of all over the place. For the most part, I think that I rest at a 5 but if it's something that really gets me going, I'm definitely a 10.
I wonder...is there a line of distinction that can be drawn between people who are quite reflective when it comes to things (or people) that relate to themselves...and people who are quite reflective full stop?
Would someone who is not reflective be reading a blog? Exactly.
For me it depends on the subject (how much do I care about the issue), and what kind of mood I'm in (do I feel like thinking that hard right now?). But then again, I do have a very difficult time making decisions and I journal a lot to work through what I'm thinking/feeling about things... ok, I surrender, I must be about an 8.
On another note, I am pleased to see that Ice, Ice Baby lives on. Will it ever stop? Yo, I don't know.
Probably about a 2. I live on autopilot most of the time, so I'm happy if I'm clean and my clothes semi-match.
Read that book for school, good one!
Now, I'm about to post something abhorrent to you reflectors, but I often think that personal reflection can be complete vanity. Reflection is important, but sometimes we need to look outside the mirror. I say I’m a 5 - depends on what I’m being reflective about.
Kristen, I kind of think that's what I was getting at. It's one thing to be reflective in a general sense...quite another to be absorbed by things that mostly pertain to ourselves.
(Spoken as one who has and sometimes still is too relfective about me-stuff, but who hopes to remain reflective and broaden my reflections to the world and people around me to be a better friend to them and person in general)
I've decided that this post was meant to make us all crazy. Over the last 24 hours, I can't tell you how many times I've reflected on whether my original answer was accurate. I keep thinking I'm less reflective than I thought, and then realizing than I'm reflecting on whether or not I'm reflective, which brings me back to my original answer.
I'm reflecting on the difference between being analytical and reflective. I don't generally think of myself as very reflective (which I tend to define as introspective - Ryan Riley is a great example), but I know I am analytical. Not quite to the point of having trouble picking out my socks, but close . . . probably a 9 out of 10 on that scale!
I will elaborate more on what I mean by reflective in future posts. I think I may have mixed the terms analytical and reflective as well... so stay tuned.
Erin... it was totally my intention to mess with you head. :-)
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