The Anxiety of Aptitude

Photo by Impartnow.org

High school report card. All As and A+s. Calculus teacher comments: "Has aptitude in this area."

So what?

Aptitude is a fancy word that simply means "a natural ability to do or learn something" according to Merriam-Webster. When I finally realized that, I remember processing my report cards, which always had that phrase next to my math and science courses. Granted, I'm pretty sure those report card systems just have coined phrases that teachers can choose from, so maybe it didn't really mean anything, but these comments always set me into a minor panic. Aptitude in math and science? Does that mean that's what I am supposed to pursue?

Turn Your Memes into Actions

Identity construction is nothing new. It's natural to ask “Who am I?” and “What am I looking for?” and “Why am I here?”  From philosophers and theologians, to sociologists and psychologists, to playwrights and rock stars, small and great minds alike have looked at themselves and pondered.

The answers are as complex and confusing as the human brain. People are complicated, and how they grapple with constructing their identities shows that. Trending on Facebook recently was the challenge to describe oneself in three fictional characters. This is an easy way to both categorize oneself in the familiar, but also to show many facets of one’s personality. I say easy, but let’s be real, settling on three characters is tough! And what will people think of the characters you have chosen?