Sunday, May 2, 2010

What defines us?

This note is a response to a FB post by Chang Yi, who asked "What defines us, the things we do, or the people we are?"

My response.

What defines us? Life's a stage and we are merely actors (as adapted from a quote by Shakespeare); yet, when we go off the stage, can we shed in totality the masks we wear? What defines us? Our surrounding takes precedence, but it does take one intrepidity, and perphas some recklessness, to not be defined by the surrounding, but to define the surrounding.

Many artiste strive to marry true self with reality, but are beset by the harsh creulty of moneylessness in the arts; the posthumously famous Vincent Van Gogh is one. Van Gogh lamented, "As a suffering creature, I cannot do without something greater than I- something that is my life- the power to create." He was suffering, and it doesn't take one much to guess his sufferance, which was rather evident from his life- impecuniousness.

So, what do you think? What defines you?