'You are a human being, not a human doing'. This piece of popular wisdom crops up sporadically in my life, but I've heard it twice in the space of the last two days. So I've been giving it some thought.
I remember the first time I came across it - in a classroom setting, and said with great solemnity and guru-like intent. I had to bite a pen hard to avoid laughing at the concept of a 'human doing'.
('Oh God! What IS that thing behind the sofa?'
'I'm not sure, Marjorie. It looks suspiciously like a 'human doing'. These tenants are ANIMALS.')
I was distracted during the detailed explanation of the phrase (too busy sketching a graphic reminder in my notebook) but from what I remember, the meaning is that we rush around too much/are too busy, and need to take time to stop and just be. I completely agree with this, but I'm not a fan of the phrase. It's neat and glib, but for me it doesn't convey its intended meaning. As it is, it implies that we should 'be', rather than 'do'. I disagree. Because I think we need to 'do' rather than 'be'. By which I mean that we are the sum total of our actions. Nothing else counts. Inside I may BE a gentle and courteous person. But that is worthless if I choose not to actually DO gentleness and courtesy on a regular basis.
Interestingly you cannot do without being - do leads to be. But you can be without doing - be does not necessarily lead to do.
(I would like to hear Yoda say this - 'Do without being you cannot. Do to be leads. But be without doing you can - be to do...' I give up - I'm all tangled and cannot Yoda-ise that last sentence.)
So, on balance, I'd rather be a human doing.
('The rug will never be the same again, Bradley. I feel violated.'
'Stand back, Marjorie, I'm DEALING WITH IT!')
Genius
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