Being and Doing
March 1, 1982
Our language and thought has been corrupted to the extent that many children and adults find it difficult to think of what they do. This is evident in typical responses to questions such as:
What do you want to do when you grow up?
I want to be a doctor.
What will you do next year?
I will go to college.
What does she do?
She is a nurse.
We think of going and being, rather than doing. To be somebody we think that we must be approved and get a piece of paper (diploma, certificate, degree, license, etc.) which proves that we are somebody or that we have gone somewhere. Is it any surprise that many people no longer know how to do anything productive?
Before we can be somebody we must learn how to do something, and serve others by doing.