All bout Sheep and Shepherds..

[Jenna]

With enough wit and discipline in its endeavour.. the sheep can ..in theory.. emulate the shepherd and .. with sufficient intellect continuous experimentation and motivation the sheep can BECOME a shepherd in its own right. I think holds true in any endeavour.. certainly in martial arts.

~~

Well hello to all my accurate MT friends who can hammer a nail right in with one blow..

To anyone who may be comfortable with this here metaphorical notion above .. ok a little Gary Larson perhaps but essentially bout innovators vs plagiarists .. but if you are still reading at this point then a few supplementary ideas perhaps you have thoughts on

• Is it NOT true that every sheep can be like a shepherd.. not every sheep has sufficient capacity. Furthermore certain sheep are predisposed to transcending their position.. the remainder are wholly resigned to being sheep for always

• Shepherds NEED sheep. If EVERY sheep had the desire and the wherewithal to become a shepherd then the shepherds position would be untenable and redundant. This is the class structure of the pasture..

• And what are YOU anyway? A happy sheep? A quietly cynical sheep? A discontented sheep with plans and aspirations? A sheep now completely comfortable having discovered upright walking? Or a shepherd annoyed at maverick sheep? A shepherd content in your role? A shepherd encouraging your flock to stand up and hold the staff? A shepherd amongst MANY shepherds? Or something else? Ha!

Oh.. one other point I have been thinking on.. many who are generally accepted shepherds ARE ACTUALLY SHEEP.. so pay attention and watch out for them.. their familiarity is the cloak for their duplicity and so they are not always easy to discern.. their shepherds regalia belies the truth well..

Thanks for reading..
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[Rich Parsons]

With enough wit and discipline in its endeavour.. the sheep can ..in theory.. emulate the shepherd and .. with sufficient intellect continuous experimentation and motivation the sheep can BECOME a shepherd in its own right. I think holds true in any endeavour.. certainly in martial arts.

~~

Well hello to all my accurate MT friends who can hammer a nail right in with one blow..

To anyone who may be comfortable with this here metaphorical notion above .. ok a little Gary Larson perhaps but essentially bout innovators vs plagiarists .. but if you are still reading at this point then a few supplementary ideas perhaps you have thoughts on

Laughter is always good

• Is it NOT true that every sheep can be like a shepherd.. not every sheep has sufficient capacity. Furthermore certain sheep are predisposed to transcending their position.. the remainder are wholly resigned to being sheep for always

Sufficient Capacity is one way to look at it. Antoher is the right circumstances have not been presented to the sheep yet.

Yet I agree that most like being sheep and ignore the wolves.

• Shepherds NEED sheep. If EVERY sheep had the desire and the wherewithal to become a shepherd then the shepherds position would be untenable and redundant. This is the class structure of the pasture..

While sheep do need shepherds for protection, sheep are not required. For if everyone has the back of their neighbor and will to help defend.

• And what are YOU anyway? A happy sheep? A quietly cynical sheep? A discontented sheep with plans and aspirations? A sheep now completely comfortable having discovered upright walking? Or a shepherd annoyed at maverick sheep? A shepherd content in your role? A shepherd encouraging your flock to stand up and hold the staff? A shepherd amongst MANY shepherds? Or something else? Ha!

Well some think I am a Sheep because I do not own a gun. Others think I have been a shepherd in the past but now just living off of the past.

If I must state I would say a Shepherd that helps those I care for and those who are in need, that I can directly effect.

Yet I do not think of myself as anything other than being just me and doing what I think is right for me.

Oh.. one other point I have been thinking on.. many who are generally accepted shepherds ARE ACTUALLY SHEEP.. so pay attention and watch out for them.. their familiarity is the cloak for their duplicity and so they are not always easy to discern.. their shepherds regalia belies the truth well..

Thanks for reading..
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

SHHHHH do not wake them up. :lol:

 

[tradrockrat]

You know, there was this book I read once that focused primarily on Japanese martial arts, but in the preface the author stated that, in fact, a true Martial artist is a warrior and that warriors are not the sheep nor the sheppard, but rather the wolf. And that the best one can hope from the wolf is that it will domesticate itself through conscious choice and not bite the hand that feeds him. He then went on to talk about various codes of honor and Bushido that acted as this self restraint upon the wolf.


Just throwing this out there for consideration.

 

[MA-Caver]

I still see myself as the sheepdog than anything else.

 

[tshadowchaser]

interesting topic
The king I own the land and make the laws that govern the shepard the sheep will be on my table for lunch if they start to think for themsleves

ok just kidding

I have been the sheep and i have tried to be the shepard I am not sure what i am at this time so I must be back to being the sheep

 

[Blotan Hunka]

With enough wit and discipline in its endeavour.. the sheep can ..in theory.. emulate the shepherd and .. with sufficient intellect continuous experimentation and motivation the sheep can BECOME a shepherd in its own right.

But when the real Shepherd gets hungry, who becomes dinner and a nice warm jacket?

 

[Dark]

• Is it NOT true that every sheep can be like a shepherd.. not every sheep has sufficient capacity. Furthermore certain sheep are predisposed to transcending their position.. the remainder are wholly resigned to being sheep for always

I don't believe is "predisposed" thats like saying "destiny." There are sheep because people would rather be mindless automations without responsibility then take control of there lives.

• Shepherds NEED sheep. If EVERY sheep had the desire and the wherewithal to become a shepherd then the shepherds position would be untenable and redundant. This is the class structure of the pasture..

Bingo... Leaders need followers and those who desire to lead crave followers. The flock needs to be command and willingly submit to the rule/judgement of others to avoid the responsibility of thier choices. This is the root of idolist mentality, peer pressure and so on.

Such is the way of the world, the weak stay weak and those who want to be stronger, make the boast. Following that sheep/shepherd metaphor I see the strongest of the flock as those tough old goats who neither desire to lead or be lead.

• And what are YOU anyway? A happy sheep? A quietly cynical sheep? A discontented sheep with plans and aspirations? A sheep now completely comfortable having discovered upright walking? Or a shepherd annoyed at maverick sheep? A shepherd content in your role? A shepherd encouraging your flock to stand up and hold the staff? A shepherd amongst MANY shepherds? Or something else? Ha!

I'm the goat, I got my horns if I need them but I ain't trying to lead others or desire to be lead by others. My choices are my own and good or ill I take responsibility for them. All leaders must begin as followers, that is how they learn to lead, thus a sheep will either willing blind him/herself or rise up to become a shepherd. Few sheep will walk their own path alone as a goat neither desiring to lead be lead...

Oh.. one other point I have been thinking on.. many who are generally accepted shepherds ARE ACTUALLY SHEEP.. so pay attention and watch out for them.. their familiarity is the cloak for their duplicity and so they are not always easy to discern.. their shepherds regalia belies the truth well..

As I said before all sheep eventually face a choice, stay a follower (sheep), become a leader (shepherd) or take the rocker pastures alone (goats). Many shepherds are just sheep dogs to their mentors and "masters" which basicly makes them "alpha" sheep. Thats the way things are and will aways be...

 

[Cirdan]

I am the solitary shepherd. At times I put down my staff, but being who I am life always makes me pick it up again. I have no flock anymore, but enjoy the company of other shepherds and sheep on the path to become shepherds. All the sheep celebrating their own sheep-ness annoys me at times, but I realize that is the way things are.

A sheep picking up a gun is nothing but an armed sheep.

 

[bobster_ice]

With enough wit and discipline in its endeavour.. the sheep can ..in theory.. emulate the shepherd and .. with sufficient intellect continuous experimentation and motivation the sheep can BECOME a shepherd in its own right. I think holds true in any endeavour.. certainly in martial arts.

~~

Well hello to all my accurate MT friends who can hammer a nail right in with one blow..

To anyone who may be comfortable with this here metaphorical notion above .. ok a little Gary Larson perhaps but essentially bout innovators vs plagiarists .. but if you are still reading at this point then a few supplementary ideas perhaps you have thoughts on

• Is it NOT true that every sheep can be like a shepherd.. not every sheep has sufficient capacity. Furthermore certain sheep are predisposed to transcending their position.. the remainder are wholly resigned to being sheep for always

• Shepherds NEED sheep. If EVERY sheep had the desire and the wherewithal to become a shepherd then the shepherds position would be untenable and redundant. This is the class structure of the pasture..

• And what are YOU anyway? A happy sheep? A quietly cynical sheep? A discontented sheep with plans and aspirations? A sheep now completely comfortable having discovered upright walking? Or a shepherd annoyed at maverick sheep? A shepherd content in your role? A shepherd encouraging your flock to stand up and hold the staff? A shepherd amongst MANY shepherds? Or something else? Ha!

Oh.. one other point I have been thinking on.. many who are generally accepted shepherds ARE ACTUALLY SHEEP.. so pay attention and watch out for them.. their familiarity is the cloak for their duplicity and so they are not always easy to discern.. their shepherds regalia belies the truth well..

Thanks for reading..
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

That is pretty interesting read... I love this site.