#sebayt

[antiquitiesandlabyrinths]

Kemeticism Under the Advice of Ptah-Hotep:

Maxim 5

In this maxim, Ptah-Hotep teaches about the proper behavior of a leader who respects the unending Rule; the philosophy of Ma'at.

Translation:

If you have the responsibility of leadership, are in charge of setting guidelines for a large number of subordinates, seek every opportunity to be effective so your behavior is irreproachable.

Great is the Rule – its effect on both great and small is complete and long-lasting. The Rule is illuminating and practical and has not changed since the time of Osiris.

Those who break the law must be punished – something the greedy fail to understand. Wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good. It is wrong to say: 'I want only to take things to enrich myself,' rather than: 'I want my actions to benefit the position entrusted to me.'

Whenever anything reaches its due term, it is the Rule which endures. And a just man must acknowledge the domain of his spiritual father.

Breakdown:

Lesson

Jacq's Translation

Direct Translation

(Note: I will be using numbers here instead of asterisks since the number of asterisks will get confusing and distracting with the amount of author's notes I have on the terms used here.)

Be effective with your tasks and advice so that none can criticize your guidance.

“If you have the responsibility of leadership… seek every opportunity to be effective so your behavior is irreproachable.”

“If you are a leader in charge of giving guidelines to a large number (of people), seek, for yourself, every occasion to be efficient¹, so that your behavior² is irreproachable.”

Ma’at’s effect on all things big and small is whole and thorough, leading to enlightenment, knowledge of morality and its' practicality, and the universe.

“Great is the Rule… it’s effect on both great and small is complete and long-lasting. The Rule is illuminating and practical and has not changed since the time of Osiris.”

“Radiant, luminous, useful is the Rule, durable its precise efficiency³. It has not been disturbed⁴ since the time of Osiris.”

People who do not follow Ma’at must be punished. Those who are greedy will not understand why Ma’at must be upheld, or why those who do not follow it must be punished.

“Those who break the law must be punished – something the greedy fail to understand.”

“The one who transgresses the laws is punished, and that is what escapes the attention of the one with a greedy heart.”

Cruel and evil people can gain many material possessions but this evil path will never succeed; it can never fulfill its objectives.

“Wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good.”

“Iniquity will get hold of quantity⁵, but evil⁶ will never succeed in bringing its moment of action safely into port.”

Taking things only for oneself is wrong and evil; it is better to think about the improvement of those around you within your life, as well as for your own needs, but not more.

“It is wrong to say: “I want only to take things to enrich myself.” rather than: “I want my actions to benefit the position entrusted to me.””

“The one who acts wrongfully says, “I acquire for myself”; he does not say: “I acquire for the benefit of my function.”

Although all things pass and die, Ma’at’s Rule remains. This makes all things temporary, except Ma'at, which is eternal.

“Whenever anything reaches its due term, it is the Rule which endures.”

“The end comes, the Rule remains.”

A good spiritual son must put to realization and acknowledgement the lessons and the work of their spiritual father.

“… and a just man must acknowledge the domain of his spiritual father.”

“That is what a just man says: “Such is the domain of my spiritual father.””

(1) - Efficient; menekh, implies a work that is well-adjusted and well finished; overall well-rounded.

(2) - Behavior can also be translated as ‘your way of governing, of guiding’.

(3) - Precise efficiency is translated from seped, which means to be pointed and efficient. The Rule of Ma’at always reaches its aim and never fails when it’s guidance is heeded. Characteristics include its duration, its eternity, stability, and in alter ability; as the worst interference or misappropriation from humans cannot defile or alter it.

(4) - Disturbance here is indicated by a verb, khenen, describing serious troubles and their consequences. The sign specifying the category of idea it belongs to is the Set-animal, representing the God responsible for cosmic disturbances. Ma’at’s Rule is not harmed by these disturbances. “Being at the origin of every creation, it is neither weakened nor lessened by this creation. ‘The time of Osiris’ is that of eternity. Born within the dimension of time, our world and the human race are condemned to disappear, but Ma’at and Osiris, not subject to time, will endure.” (The Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep, Christian Jacq, p. 160)

(5) - Iniquity is translated from nedjyt, meaning baseness or villainy, whilst quantity is translated from ahat, meaning heap, piles, accumulation, or quantity. “Injustice gains unfair advantage wherever quantity is important. While the Rule of Ma’at and quality reign, baseness does not predominate; when quantity, mediocrity and injustice reign, it becomes widespread.” (The Wisdom of Ptah-Hotep, Christian Jacq, p. 160)

(6) - Evil here comes from the word djayt, formed from the root dja, meaning to transgress or oppose. One who is quarrelsome is one who transgresses and opposes, causing isfet within an environment of Ma’at.

With the length and range of this particular maxim, there are a lot of lessons that can be found within its' paragraphs. The overarching idea is concerned with Ma'at. Whilst it refers mostly to one who holds the position of a leader, Ma'at is something that all should aim to follow. It is the eternal and everlasting essence and substance of the universe – it is all things with equilibrium, balance, and harmony. It cannot be twisted or swayed by the outcome of its' own creation, nor can it even be harmed by the Gods.

I have spoken before about what Ma'at is, and who Ma'at is, in a cosmic sense. But this does not specifically describe what adhering to Ma'at means. So, Ma'at is the precision and the eternity and the essence of the universe. It is the substance. But what does it mean to follow this substance? What does it mean to adhere to equilibrium?

Often when people first begin to read about Ma'at, they read first the 42 Laws, also called the 42 Negative Confessions. They think of these laws as strict, unbending, stern, and intransigent. But harmony has nothing to do with the ideas that these words describe. Ma'at is something that is highly personalized to everyone and everything. The 42 Negative Confessions, even though seemingly a strict set of rules, was different for every person, and every time a version of this text has been found it has been different from every other version. This is because people with different lives and statuses have different vices, or sins which they are pulled to. The life of a vizier is very different from the life of a farmer, and so their vices are different. Whilst a vizier may be pulled to embezzle money, a farmer would be tempted to steal a neighbor's cow. A priest may need to ensure that he is being respectful in all holy places, while a governor may want to keep from the sin of adultery. Similarly, our good deeds will be different as well, and this is why Ma'at is so changeable. As said by Ptah-Hotep, the daily deeds of a sage are to follow the callings of his creative energy, his ka, which knows better of Ma'at than the mind, who is so easily swayed by the emotions which stem from the gut.

Whether or not we follow Ma'at, She is always there. Knowledge of Her will lead to great joy and heals the heart, whilst ignorance of Her leads only to failure and to isfet. The true freedom of human choice consists of taking part in the Great Divine Plan or departing ourselves from it; from accepting fate and entering into a state of Blessedness, or refusing and wandering in sorrow as we wonder helplessly how to control our destiny. The Gods are the ones to lead our destiny, and though humans have the capability of ignoring this and creating chaos, it is only what They ordain which comes to pass. It is our duty to trust Them and realize They know better than our transient minds do. It is hubris to believe you know better than the Gods.

In Egyptian mythology, there is little to no mention of any sort of hell. This concept comes from later cultures and was then imparted upon Kemetic thought, however in its' original form, the only thing to come after death to those who did not follow Ma'at was nonexistence. For the people of the time, this was enough punishment, as there was nothing better than life and its' continuation in the Field of Reeds, where all is peaceful and the sun shines forever. But for us, in our modern age which is steeped heavily in the idea of a monotheistic, Semitic God and the concept of Hell, the idea of nonexistence being the punishment for perpetrators of isfet seems to be somewhat lenient. However these wrong-doers were also to be punished in life. Ptah-Hotep outlines that those who are greedy, and those who do not understand what Ma'at is, will not understand why Ma'at must be followed or why they must be punished for their transgressions. In future maxims, Ptah-Hotep once again brings up this subject in reference to training a spiritual son – in our terms, a sage's apprentice. A spiritual son may act out of line or without Ma'at in mind; this does not mean you send him away immediately. Instead, he must be punished in a way that makes him understand his transgression, and if he understands, all is well. However if one repeatedly creates problems and does not listen to his ka, Ptah-Hotep advises to "... send him away. He is not your spiritual son." (Maxim 12)

The difference between the one who acts viciously and the one who acts within Ma'at is the ability to listen. If one is able to listen, they are able to understand. If they are unable to listen then their tasks in life will not succeed. "He who does not listen is prey to distractions. He who knows gets up early in the morning to worship, to maintain his balance, while an ignorant man bustles about." (Maxim 40, Epilogue 3)

It seems, in positions of power during both the past and the present, that those who are the least well-suited to be handling power are given it. As quoted above from this maxim, "Wrong-doers can achieve material gain," however, "evil never leads to good." (Maxim 5) So let us first ask, what does material gain give us? Everything material is temporary. Ptah-Hotep does not shun the importance of material goods. Food keeps us alive and nourishes us, and we require air to breathe, and water to drink, and it is good to have all these things in good quality. What he advices against is excess. When quantity of things becomes more important than the quality of these things, greed and a lack of appreciation derive. This is from an inability to see things as they truly are, and comprehend the world with no preconceived notions or feelings.

When we are able to see clearly, we appreciate every small thing, and are conscious of everything we have, and everything we are fortunate enough to not have, such as diseases or bad relations. We can see bad things which are out of our control and not react negatively to it, instead observing our emotions without reacting, and acting positively when it is possible. This perceived lack of emotion, as well as the understanding of material wealth's temporary state, does not mean we cannot enjoy good things; it actually gives us more power and awareness to enjoy and adore the good things in our life without being plagued by isfetic forces beyond our help, and without our hearts being warped by the instincts and fears of the gut. Without this clear vision, we rely on external and material things to keep us happy which are, as Ptah-Hotep says, temporary. This means our happiness would be temporary, as it is based on temporary things. "The end comes, the Rule remains." (Maxim 5) When happiness is based on the eternal, which is comprehension and realization, devotion, and perfect listening, then our happiness is eternal. Understanding and realizing this subject can be difficult. Understanding is easy enough; that appreciation leads to happiness, while the accumulation of things does not give any. But enacting it within your mind is a step of enlightenment, or realization, which does not always come easily.

The second question to ask when analyzing the phrase, 'wrong-doers can achieve material gain, but evil never leads to good,' is why is it possible for wrong-doers to achieve material gain?

Those who do not listen, the followers of isfet, who pay more heed to their gut than their heart, have their place in this world. Their evil ways are centered on getting their material gain no matter the cost to their soul or to the people around them. Their means are cruel and their behavior is to be despised. Temporary, material pleasures have more worth to them than the infinity of their souls, or the connection between humans. They do not see value in these things; they do not listen, and only see the value in material gains, but cannot see far enough to realize that these benefits will never last, and can be taken away in a second. Wrong-doers achieve material gain because they are set on it in their mind. It is the only thing important to them. The Gods always punish them with their fate, but this punishment is not visual to us.

This lesson bleeds into the next phrase, which says it is better to earn and achieve things for the benefit of your function, but not to yearn ceaselessly for more quantity. When one understands the quality of the goods we consume they do not yearn for quantity. They appreciate what they have in the moment and let it pass on like a pleasant dream. Peace follows and Ma'at is adhered to.

The lesson of Ma'at's eternity is one that I have repeated many times. Ma'at is enduring and beautiful, and She cannot be changed; however, Her presence can be diminished as more and more people forgo the Rule. That's why it is of paramount importance to listen to the sages who dedicate their lives to the understanding of Ma'at, whether from Egyptian culture or otherwise, as Ma'at is a universal subject found in many cultures. A 'spiritual father' is one who is a teacher. To us, we would call him a spiritual master, and his 'spiritual son' a disciple. The line of knowledge is not always genetic, and often we are able to choose our teachers and the style of knowledge we acquire. If the teachings are good, then the learning is good, and the learning is passed on, even over the millennia.

[akhret]

Djehuty

Offerings

Water, (red) wine, whiskey, bourbon, milk, beer, coffee, orange juice.

Meat, bread, honey, fruits, vegetables, nuts, cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, cakes and other sweets. Herbs, as well, whether you’re cooking with them or for others reasons.

Frankincense and myrrh, lavender, eucalyptus, chamomile, and citrus smells are great for incense, candles, essential oils, or perfume.

Writing utensils (pens and quills), paper, journals, a calendar. He’ll even take wax seals, too. Notes from school or work.

Any medication you’re on. Science or medical equipment.

Imagery of him- including statues, drawings, printed pictures. Ibis, baboon or moon imagery.

As well as maat and the ankh

Devotional Acts

Meditation and yoga to practice mindfulness and to help yourself feel more balanced. Shadow work can also be a great devotional act or going to therapy. Positive affirmations can even be a good devotional act to help you feel more confident.

Learn and study. As a god of knowledge, he loves to see people thrive. He wants you to be eager to learn about anything. Write about it afterwards, take notes. You can even read- even if it’s “brain junk,” there’s still wisdom to be found within the pages. Start learning a new language if you wish or even make one up! Learn pieces of wisdom or look at sebayts.

Experiment! He’s a god of science, so SAFELY practice some science experiments (cooking is a science, too.) Experiment with different learning styles to find what best suits you! Experiment with magic- even if it’s like learning a new spell or manifestation.

Creative acts like cooking, writing, drawing, or even find a new hobby!. Just bring something to life.

Signs

Ibises or ibis imagery- this can include imagery appearing on your Etsy randomly, or on your Pinterest, or other forms of social media; along with baboon imagery. You could also see this with the shed tree, as it was a scared symbol to Djehuty.

Being drawn to the moon. You may see an increase in moon imagery as well. You may have feelings of wanting to sit outside and look at the moon.

You may feel a call to want to learn or craft. You could feel the urge to randomly pick up a new language one day or to start writing.

You may see that justice is coming to you. He crafted and reinforced the laws of maat, so you could even feel a sense of justice.

[socratetris]

To kick of my contribution to this, I’d like to share a couple videos I made on the ancient Egyptian Sebayt, “Dispute between a man and his ba.” The first video is a dramatic performance with fellow essayist Daniel Santos. The second video is presenting how the Sebayt inspired the video game Warframe in the quest The New War. Hope you enjoy!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NnSqj7JGgZc&feature=shares

https://youtube.com/watch?v=XJ4dflI_MGQ&feature=shares

February is here, and that can only mean one thing: it’s BlackExcellence365, back for our fifth year right here on Tumblr. This is a celebration of all things Black culture and history, and it’s not just for February—this is a community celebration every day of every week of the year. This year we will be highlighting Black artists. So join us each month, as we will be exploring Black creativity with a series of themes such as history, power and activism, and PRIDE. 

Introducing February’s theme: Black History 

If you are a Black artist or creative, join in, follow, and share your art related to Black History using the tag #BlackExcellence365. Let’s lean into our creativity and explore Black Excellence through art. Selected posts will be featured, gifted free blazes🔥, or given a spot on radar. 

Keep your eyes peeled each month for your chance to showcase your expressions of Black Excellence. You will be able to do so as we explore artists here and across Tumblr over on Meet The Artist, Artist Picks, and Artist Alley— it doesn’t matter whatever your discipline: music, writing, photography, dance, fashion, film, and anything in between. 

Welcome back to #BlackExcellence365 ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽!

[pharaoh-khan]

Still learning what this is

[brokenwingsociety]

HELP YOURSELF

HEALING WITH LITERATURE ONE DAY AT A TIME

FEBRUARY 23, 2023 According to http://www.publishingperspectives.com a short-history of self-help, The worlds Bestselling Genre by Jessica Lamb-shapiro, self help has been around for thoushands of years. The earliest of self-help books was an Ancient Egyptian genre called “Sebayt” an instructional read on life (“Sebayt” means “teaching”). A letter from father to son advising him with help on how…

[rudjedet]

Two things. First, do you happen to have or know of a list of the available sebayt? Second, do you have a favorite sebayt that you like to read?

I looked, and can’t easily find a comprehensive list of the Egyptian wisdom texts, so I made one (in roughly chronological order). I’ve emphasised the ones that fall into the specific subgenre “instructions”, but all of them are wisdom texts in the broadest sense of the genre - i.e. texts that seek to impart a particular wisdom upon the reader.

Old Kingdom

The Instruction of Prince Hordjedef

The Instruction Addressed to Kagemni

The Instruction of Ptahhotep

First Intermediate Period

The Instruction Addressed to King Merikare

Middle Kingdom

The Teachings of Amenemhat I for His Son Senwosret I

The Prophecies of Neferti

The Complaints of Kakheperre-seneb

The Admonitions of Ipuwer

Dispute Between a Man and His Ba

The Eloquent Peasant

The Satire of the Trades

New Kingdom

The Instruction of Any

The Instruction of Amenemope

Papyrus Lansing

The Immortality of Writers

Late Period (Demotic texts)

The Instruction of Ankhsheshonq

The Instruction of Papyrus Insinger

My favourite wisdom text is The Teachings of Amenemhat I. It’s not only a gorgeous papyrus with incredibly nice handwriting, but a very poetic text as well. 

[ashesofthegods]

guys i just found out i've been treating fake friends the way egyptian sebayt told egyptains to. it basically says you can talk to them, but only if they start the conversation and you should be acting coldly and if this doesn't help justice will get them omg

[baeddel]

i think the hardest style to write well is those short, didactic pronouncements that one finds in some forms of wisdom literature, like the ancient Egyptian sebayt.. almost no one seems to have actually written like this; as much as you see pithy little quotes from Nietzsche or whoever on facebook, they tend to be embedded in longer sequences. the Maxims I & II make use of apposition and similie to ground their pronouncements, Laozi balances his lines and also rhymes them, and even Ptahhotep couches his little mottos in a dialogue. the only writers who seem to have written like this in antiquity are those we recover from fragments. Heraclitus only ever writes like this (“the best seek one thing above all: ever-flowing fame among men”, “the posset is the posset only when it moves”, etc.) because these were the only things of his that people decided to quote, leaving out all the other things he must have said before and after.

but it is quite popular today, especially in power electronics and industrial music. some of my favourites are Michael Gira’s from early Swans: “take control and keep it”, “you should be raped by someone weaker than you”, etc. these are able to work as well as they do because the speaker is adopting a charismatic posture, they are ‘in character’, and the contrast between speaker and statement is a productive emptiness (“isn’t it just like a bellows? even though it is empty it is not vacuous; pump it and more and more comes out” DDJ 5). the other place you’ll find it is anarchist literature. Winter’s magisterial Legalize Crime is almost all statements like this: “A PRISON IS ANY STRUCTURE THAT YOU CANNOT LEAVE”, etc. and Novatore: “We are destructive philosophers and creative poets.” people complain that this kind of writing is emtpy rhetoric, but i think we should pay attention to the role that this kind of speech plays in discourse, what its aims are, and so forth. as i said before, what do i really believe? the propositions i use to make arguments, or the maxims i repeat to myself during torture? in any case, i can never be so disciplined as to write a little remark like this. i always have to add another line to contrast with it, or explain it with a little metaphor, just like Ptahhotep or Laozi or anyone else felt they had to. but i found one that i wrote in 2015, which i had forgotten about, and was a little proud of, finding it witty if a little cute: “time will tell but never for sure.”

[dukuzumurenyiphd]

"The second aspect of the sꜣhw nt sbꜣ/Sahu nt Seba [Kush/Kemet: System of Education] of Utamaduni Mkubwa [Kiswahili: High Culture] of kš/Kush [Kush/Kemet: Land of Kush] and Utamaduni Mkubwa [Kiswahili: High Culture] of kmt/Kemet [Kush/Kemet: ‘Land of the Blacks’] was the esoteric philosophy of the inner temple. Esoteric philosophy was considered the ‘Greater Mysteries,’ to which only the very outstanding sbꜣyt/Sebayt [Kush/Kemet: Student, Apprentice, Novitiate] were admitted. The Esoteric Studies consisted of the development of essential questions by the student designed to lead them in the ascertaining of the holistic truths that were contained in, around and throughout the Exoteric Studies."

pp. 335

km dd.tn mꜣꜥt/Kem Djed.ten Maat [To Be Black, Speak You Maat]

Ambakisye Dukuzumurenyi, Ph.D. Public Policy Analysis

Essays on Afrikan Liberation, Revolutionary Governance and Radical Macroeconomic Public Policy with a Translation of the Oldest Book in the World, the Instructions of Ptah-Hotep, the Ethical Axioms of Excellent Discourse & Afrikan Behavior by the Prime Minister & Chief Public Administrator of Kemet c. 1866 – 1891 KC [c. 2375 – 2350 BCE]

kmyt/Kemyt [Books of the Black Land]

AFRIKOLOGY PHILOSOPHY SERIES Pan-Afrikan Ethics for Pan-Afrikan Public Policy & Public Administration Volume I Accra, Ghana: University of New Timbuktu Seba Press, 2021. Pp. liii, 690. [PDF] Price: $29.95 https://www.abibitumi.com/shop/tobeblackspeakmaat/

[trixiegalaxy]

Miraculous Ladybug Kwami OC idea

(Also on my Deviant Art account)

Kwami animal; Sphinx (a mythical creature with the head of a human, and the body of a lion with the wings of a falcon)

Kwami name; Gizza *as in Great Sphinx of Giza*

Kwami gender; female

Kwami description; has a black body, cat paws with gold on the tips, she has golden human eyes, little gold wings on her back, a black lion tail with gold fur on the end. On her head she wears a golden royal egyptian headdress, and on her body wears an egyptian queen dress.

Kwami personally; She's very outgoing, enjoys going to new places and always willing to try/learn new things. She also talks in rhymes. Her favorite past time is reading any type of history books. And she gets very excited if her holder takes her to any type of Museum or Archaeology class.

Miraculous jewelry; a golden egyptian cuff bracelet, with an egyptian ankh symbol on it.

Miraculous power/name; Sebayt *an Egyptian form of wisdom literature*  (gives the Miraculous holder the knowledge/wisdom to solve any puzzle or riddle in any situation. Or the holder can trapped a person or animal in a prison, and the prison can only be undone by the holder or if the prisoner(s) can solve a difficult riddle given by the Miraculous)

[akhret]

Horus

Offerings

Water, wine, whiskey, rum, scotch, beer, coffee, milk, juice, hot chocolate, (earthy) teas.

Meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, bread, grains, nuts, honey, cakes and other sweets, too (like chocolate); along with, lemon and other citrus things (cakes, candies, or fruit)

Knives, spears, bow and arrows, whips, harpoons, or other weapons can be dedicated to Heru. You may use anything else that you use to stay safe/ keep yourself safe like your car keys, taser, pocket knives, a bat, etc.

Jewelry or precious stones/metals like gold, silver, bronze, lapis lazuli, carnelian, red jasper, garnet, sunstone, and moonstone.

Items like the feather of maat, the ankh, the was scepter, the Eye of Horus, imagery of his crown, You may also offer him imagery of him (drawings, printed pictures, figurines), the falcon, or the sun and moon.

Devotional Acts

Helping the dying or the deceased. You can become a death doula and help grieving families and help make it easier for those who are passing or it may take the form of working in hospice or in an elderly home. You may also help clean up graves, making their headstone clear of dirt and debris. Horus’ job in antiquity was to revive his father and keep his social standing (you did not want your name forgotten).

As a protective deity, you may start working out, exercising, or taking up classes. Or you may see this as an opportunity to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, whether in conversations or you may go the route of military/ law enforcement (he is known as the avenger of wrongs and defender of order).

Meditation. Meditation has been known to increase mindfulness and help you feel balanced overall, along with yoga.

Acts of maat, too. Maat can be getting involved in your community, helping those who are in need of assistance, donating to charities, helping your neighbor, helping your family; knowledge seeking, learning wisdom (sebayts), holding your tongue when you want to lash out; along with, giving offerings to the dead and to the gods, and performing rituals to them, too.

Signs

You may see an increase in seeing his scared animals like hawks/falcons/eagles (I’ve noticed they’ll use them accordingly based on your area and what’s native there), bulls, rams, or the sphinx.

The most obvious sign would be the wadjet eye- or the Eye of Horus, along with the Double Crown of Egypt (or the Pschent).

As a god of fertility and reviver of Asar, you may see start coming back to life if they’re on death’s door (you still have to put in the effort to try to revive it). Or you may notice you have a stronger “green-thumb.”

Horus of the Horizon is associated with the planet Mars, Horus who Limits the Two Lands is associated with Jupiter, and Horus the Bull of the Heavens is associated with Saturn. You may start seeing imagery based on these planets. Horus also has one eye associated with the sun, the other the moon- so you may start seeing a combination of that imagery or them separate.

You may have waves where you just feel “safe” and “protected.” Or you may get feelings of extreme heat from his solar aspects.

[earlgraytay]

okay, random google article, sebayt and wisdom literature are not the same thing as self-help

BAD POP HISTORY MAKES THE FLAMES HIT THE SIDE OF MY FACE

[m1male2]

1/ La Sátira de los oficios, también llamada Instrucciones de Dua-Jeti, es una obra literaria de tipo didáctico del Antiguo Egipto, datada cerca de 2400 a. C. Pertenece al género Sebayt (enseñanzas éticas y cívicas) y está escrita por el escriba Dua-Jeti para su hijo Pepi.

2/ Describe un cierto número de profesiones con una luz exageradamente negativa, resaltando las ventajas de la del escriba:

“Es la mejor de las profesiones.

No hay nada igual en todo el país.

¡Dedicaos en cuerpo y alma a los libros!”

[menskoolsposts]

Self Help Books: Are They Really Helpful?

Self-help books or self-improvement books are a genre of literature that motivates and inspires one to live a life they always wanted to but failed due to the different challenges they had to face. It guides one theoretically to overcome their challenges in life -economic, emotional, or often on a psychological basis.

Under the self-help book genre, many different groupings exist and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents, and in some cases, leaders.

The self-help book industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and this ensures its popularity among the masses. As a society, we are more focused on the entire idea of being an optimist and having a positive outlook on life.

Some people believe that self-help books provide you with a step by step lesson on how to gain positivity in life, thus making the content of self-improvement skyrocket. According to the Harvard Business Review, experts predict an average yearly gain until 2022, at which point the market should be worth $13.2 billion.

However, the entire concept of how to gain a positive outlook on life by following a book of theories with step by step instructions is vague. Positivity is a feeling that is to be felt from within and not by following rigid steps. The utmost benefit that one can achieve from self-help books is insight, or rather get influenced by real-life stories.

Not a new genre of this modern generation

Self-help book has been around as a genre for thousands of years and it has been loved and criticized for just as long.

The earliest form of self-help books was an Ancient Egyptian genre called “Sebayt.” Written around 2800 B.C, “Sebayt” was instructional literature on life. It was a letter of advice from father to son, The Maxims of Ptahotep, which advocated moral behavior and self-control.

During the middle ages and the period of Renaissance, Mirror-of-Princes books were written which told stories of kings whose behavior should be imitated or avoided. These were similar to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series which we have today.

The self-help genre is not a new genre of this modern generation. It has been there since ages, as a source of motivation for people who need help but cannot reach out to others or fail to achieve their goals in life.

But the question lies in if this genre helps the people as it claims to?

How Self Help Hurts Sometimes

Self-help literature often tends to show a warped form of reality. It compares performance across people, ignoring our range and, which is in turn is impacted by a bunch of factors. Personal development should never be compared with others. Development is something that must come from within and not just by questioning our self-worth and productivity and this is what the self-help genre fails to acknowledge.

When we inevitably find ourselves not measuring up, it makes us feel more inadequate and we start giving more attention to shallow things in life that we hardly cared about before.

What may work for one might not work for others. You cannot achieve success in life by following a guide book. You can get inspired by people you really look up to but you cannot expect to win over on life by following an instruction book. Self-help writers fail to understand this and thus name their books as a set by step guide to a happy life.

Intelligence and efficiency depends from one person to another. One might take a little longer time to achieve the success he wants, than others. This does not essentially mean that he is a failure or is supremely unhappy in life. Self-help books fail to acknowledge this. The reader often starts thinking himself as one, thus making him feel insecure and then ends up judging himself and the worth of his life.

A Better Approach To Self Improvement

For starters, stop comparing yourself to others, for the simple fact that everyone is unique in their ways. There will always be someone who can read faster than you, sing better than you, or work more efficiently than you. Social media also tends to amplify those results and make you question your life a little more.

The entire idea of perfection is a myth. Everyone has their flaws. You can try and improve yourself by comparing yourself to the past”you” but comparing yourself to someone you barely know should never be an option.

Embrace yourself and be Kind to yourself. Nobody knows your journey better than you. Thus following a self-help book, that claims to tell you how to achieve success by following a list of rules can never help you.

There is a fine line between getting inspired by others and comparing yourself to them. Make sure that you do not fall prey to these toxic barriers of competition and instead choose to gain wisdom by getting influenced by them.

Focus on your own journey including both success and failure. Whether you are reading a self-help book or scanning your Instagram feed, use other’s stories to gain knowledge and inspiration, and not to compare yourself. Do not question yourself and instead focus on growth, keeping it in mind that you are good but you can be better.

Remember, if you can dream it, you can do it. Success does not come overnight. These self-improvement books often have a title that focuses on how you can gain success within ten days. Let us be realistic this time, you cannot just gain success overnight. You need to strive for it and that is how it works.

Think about it. Do you really need a self-improvement book that tells you not to eat enough calories a day, or that you should pursue doing what you love? No right! Do it just for the sake of yourself.

But does that mean you should stop reading self-improvement books if you enjoy this genre? If you find content of self-help books effective enough, do read it. Nobody can choose your priorities better than yourself. In case you feel you cannot do it alone, or suffer from impulsive behavior, do reach out to your loved ones and ask for help, it is worth it!

[viajerosculturales]

Desde el inicio de las culturas se evidencia la importancia del aprendizaje.