That was amazingly informative.
Thank you Shteeble!!

@reb yid

jumping in late to add my 2 cents.

I hate labels. most use them to put others down and limit their potential.
I believe a person rises up to the level others set for them.

I used to teach programming - one summer one of the parents approached me and told me (somewhat quietly and withdrawn.. ) my son is HDD (in other words - dont expect too much from him, because we dont)

not liking labels - I decided this must mean the boy was a HIGHLY DEVELOPED DUDE!!!
and as such - I taught him at an accelerated pace.

guess what - he rose up to the level I set for him.
needless to say his parents were also shocked!

a friend of mine was recently diagnosed as ADHD (figuring he now has an excuse for all his problems) - I explained that NOW he has a greater responsibility to RISE UP and ACHIEVE MORE!!

after all -

many of the great thinkers were (or could have been ) ADHD

Thomas Edison was kicked out of school at 4th grade because he could not concentrate on the teachers
The head of Virgin Airlines is a known ADHD
etc

so although its good to hear that you found a potential source for the lusting... now more than before you have a good excuse to rise up even higher and reach greater heights and help others do the same.

(as my wife says - someone who is ADHD is someone who enjoys MORE of everything. Their world is filled with MORE fun, MORE colors, MORE laughter, MORE song... MORE praise for their Creator)

shannah tovah

dov.ii

very well put!
to accept the label is our choice, and you chose not to accept it, but rather to peel it off, its aan excellent lesson, thx

Thanks for that info Shteeble! Very interesting!

DovInIsrael, do you think labels can sometimes be used for a person to accept themselves (rather than beating themselves up over their failures)?  Then, they may have a better platform to grow from it.

isnt "HIGHLY DEVELOPED DUDE" a positive label?

I feel bad.
I seem to have unintentionally hijacked gesher's very important thread. It was not my intention!
However, once done, I may as well respond.
Dov ii,
You are 100% correct. As a Rebbe for many years the dangers of labels are very real to me indeed. However, I have found that what Gibbor posted was very true as well. I think the label can be extremely harmful, or extremely beneficial, depending on the person's attitude.
I have had kids who were diagnosed with ADHD or other such labels. Their parents/doctors felt that they should now be given extra space, less demands, modified programs..... After all - the kid's got ADHD!!!! What a Chaval. They truly destroyed their son's success and potentially bright future right before my eyes. Then there was this other kid with the same diagnosis. However his parents approached me and said that they did not want me to treat their son at all differently than any other kid. I was to deal with him as a gifted child rather than a "sick" one. They only wanted me to know about the diagnosis so I can help monitor the child so they could determine what the best treatment would be. This kid turned out to be one of my best students ever!!

So for me, I felt a tremendous weight off my back when I realized that much of my failure was not really in my ability to succeed. In fact, all things being considered, i was actually very successful under the circumstances. However, I did not allow myself to be satisfied with that thought. It picked me up, and gave me the strength to move on. But I was determined to get the help that I needed so that I can remove the obstacles blocking my success, and then work really hard with my new found energy to finally succeed beyond what I have done before.

So I guess my point is this: If the label removes the stigma, and the feelings of failure and inadequacy, so that you can double your efforts to grow, then the label is the greatest blessing. But if the label explains your failures away, allowing you to be satisfied with mediocrity because "this is just who I am", well then that would be a tragic loss of potential.

I hope to continue to choose the first way.
So far, so good.
Hatzlocha!!
Reb Yid

No need to apologize Reb Yiddelle.
I seem to have a knack for getting my threads hijacked

;D ;D ;D

i printed that article and read it last night, a real tour de force.
thank you Shteeble and Yechida for bringing that to light
(and Gesher for providing hijack-space hospitality) 

Reb Yid wrote on 02 Oct 2011 16:53:

You think I know how to do that? I'll try, but if the whole system goes down its not my fault!

Tip:

Reply as normal, but after putting in text, click on the "additional options" link under the big white text box.

I emailed it to Reb Yid.  It's a pretty big file.  I'm not sure you can post such a big file without converting it and/or breaking it up into a few smaller files.

Very special article. Thank you!

reb yid -

i hear ya. labels can be helpful...if used to help a person get unstuck, realize why they are stuck, why they are unique, etc. prb is our society is not built to handle those who fall outside the bell curve - whether at the high end or the low end.

famous story about a school in down town chicago - the worse neighborhood. could not maintain a teacher for the class - the worst of the worst. one day old lady comes in to substitute...attendence picks up...grades begin to rise.

principle is shocked - not sure what to make of this.. calls the lady in, and asks whats her secret. nobody else has been able to deal with these derelicts

Derelicts? she questions? but these are some of the brightest kids I've ever come across!!!!

hmmm.. quite shocked at her response.. nearly dumb founded - he asks why she thinks that?
she says she saw their IQ on the list she was given when she came in. Some of the HIGHEST IQ'sshe has ever seen.

he thinks for a moment and then realizes the print out she was referring to was...

THEIR LOCKER NUMBERS!

lots of similar stories.

whats the point?
your an ADDICT?

B"H - how incredible!! That means you've been given an early warning system to let you know when your circuits are over loaded. not to mention a free life time membership to join up with some of the best real friends you will ever meet