Blog 5

CRITICAL:  What do you think Faulkner might have meant by the caption that is around his neck in the image at the top of this blog?

In life I believe people get caught up in a sort of intellectual competitiveness, and at times it can be almost hidden. What I mean by this, is that people stretch themselves, they strive and labour to better or smarter then the smartest person they know. In essence they fall into the trap of doing things for the wrong reasons. Whilst there is nothing wrong with healthy competitiveness, by trying to exceed the efforts of those around or before you, Faulkner here emphasises the true person to overcome is yourself. The benchmark to beat is not those around you rather inside of you. You should challenge yourself to be the best you can be, to overcome your faults, your trials, your shortcomings. I believe this quote highlights how allot writers, but people in general, loose their identity and sense of individuality in always trying to compare themselves and compete with others. You are not a carbon copy, and I believe all men are created unique, we were created to stand out, so there is not use trying to fit in. I dont mean by this people should live rebellious lives and bend the rules, rather do not be conformed to who the world says you should be. Dont try and be better then the person next to you, dont walk around with a log in your eye!