The Tao of the Envious Wannabe Musician
Mar 19, 2020 4:13:57 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Mar 19, 2020 4:13:57 GMT -5
The Tao of the Envious Wannabe Musician
Ever play a musical instrument and have a person present totally ignore your performance? Or taken your guitar to a gathering, only to have everyone there totally ignore you? There can be various reasons for this of course. Maybe they just don't like you for some justifiable or else unjustifiable personal reason. However, there is also the possibility that it is based on envy for the musician who has been able to accomplish something that they desperately yearn, but which has proven to be beyond their reach.
You see, not everyone can play a musical instrument in a skilled manner. It takes years of practice, and that requires sacrifice of time and a concentrated effort. It also requires persistence, since many obstacles will arise to slow the person down, or keep him seemingly at one level. Those who dedicate themselves in that way, will very often reap the fruit of their labors. Others might not due to some inherent unmusical tendencies such as tone deafness or lack of dexterity which is stubbornly ingrained. after all, not everyone who practices will become a dancer such as Fred Astair or a singer such as Pavaroti. Some of these will humbly and calmly accept their inability to play a musical instrument. Others, the envious Wanabees, will eternally fret and feel cheated.
There are however, other Wannabees who do have great potential but were simply totally unwilling to put forth that required effort. Perhaps they didn't like the need to endure pain in the fingertips required of the guitar player. Lacked the patience to wait until callouses formed. Or else they lack the patience to persist when progress seemingly slows down to a standstill. Or have some other priority that they choose to focus on instead. A choice which the Wanabees would have preferred to have never made. These are what I refer to as wannabe envious musicians.
What is their Tao, or modus operandi in order to deal with that frustration? Well, when they find themselves in the annoying presence of someone who is an accomplished musician, either playing his instrument or threatening to, Wannabees feel extremely uncomfortable and rage inside since the situation seems to be point an accusatory finger at their inability to learn. So they strive to make the situation psychologically tolerable by totally ignoring the musician and his music, and behave as if absolutely nothing is being played or has been played.
Wannabees might feign to be involved in some deep conversation over the phone while the performance in progress. Might avoid lending any hint of visual recognition by avoiding eye contact looking in the direction of the musical instrument or the musician. After all, that might because that might be understood as a recognition of the musician's skill and reveal the hidden murderous envy.
In short, they strive might and main to deny the musician acknowledgement of his skill by denying recognition of the situation's existence. Such behavior might baffle an inexperienced musician at first. But in time, Musicians get to recognize these WANNABEES immediately, since the behavior is so blatantly automatic and exaggerated, that it is easily detectable. Interestingly, some Wannabees literally shake with a rage that they assume to be undetectable, but which stands out like the proverbial sore thumb. All totally unnecessary, actually, since all that was required to avoid that frustration was a little practice and persistence which they were unwilling to provide.
BTW
One indication that the person is a Wannabe is a none response to the statement that you play a musical instrument, The Wannabe will contune conversing as if nothing at all has been said.