Hermann Bock - yeah, that's me! :)
The way I see it, steemit is one of those amazing possibilities that has evolved as a result of the millions of possibilities that have evolved as part of the amazing technical development we puny humans have achieved in the last 100 years.
I can understand when new opportunities come about and people tend to downplay them as just another fad that's destined to die a very solitary death. In fact, in history, there are thousands of opportunities where the previous statement has turned out to be a sad and, for some, painful truth.
Every once in a while, however, an opportunity will show up that will scream "This is it!!!" right in our faces. How we decide to react to it, what actions we take related to it, ends up affecting us for a long time.
Notice that in the previous paragraph I used the word "decide" because, in the end, that's what we need to do. We have to aim to be aware of our feelings and automatic reactions, in order to, somehow, fish the appropriate reaction given the circumstances. That's what I'm aiming at with steemit.
My name is Hermann Bock and I've been involved in computer technology for over 27 years of my life. I landed in this line of work due to an insatiable desire to know more and understand my surroundings (27 years ago, computers starting surrounding me).
At the same time, I grew up as a member of a "Jehovah's Witness" religious cult which, somehow, kind of deadened my desire to excel and be more in life than a "door knocker" trying to proselytize people into the same brainwashing cult I was a part of.
So, for a long time, I was struggling between two worlds pulling me in different directions. It was hard, but finally, after many years, a realization came about that made me understand the importance of deciding how to react and not just letting the "automatic mode" take control.
I left the Jehovah's Witnesses and started rebuilding my life around what I personally considered most important for me. Although the getting rid of the brainwashing took a long time, it was a conscious decision and that, in the end, made it a bit easier.
What does this have to do with steemit you might wonder?
Well, when I read about it, my first reaction was, "oh no - another social media platform" (You can find me also in Facebook, Google+ or Twitter) to master.
That was my automatic reaction, the one that came without thinking or paying proper attention to the whole thing. But then, I stopped myself and read a couple of pages about what this "steemit" thing is all about. I learned about the blockchain in a bit more depth and then I decided, IT IS A VERY GOOD IDEA to give this possibility a try.
That was a conscious decision. And there you learned a bit about me. Maybe because of my past, I've learned to have an open skeptical attitude to life. What does that mean?
Well, I'll not say "NO, that's not possible" without giving you the opportunity to prove me wrong. I'm constantly working on myself to become more open minded and yet not gullible. Does that make sense?
Either way, that's me, in a nutshell. If you want to know more, head to http://hermann-bock.com/about-me to find out a more in-depth story of who I am and how I see myself.
As you can see, I've learned, from personal experience, that how you react to things that happen to you or opportunities that get in your way, will determine the kind of future that you will have. But I try not to keep this just at an intellectual level, but actually put it into practice on a day to day basis. Believe me, it's not easy... but, in my opinion, worth the effort!
So the question is: How do YOU deal with opportunities that come your way? Have you let good ones pass and years later regret having done so?
Something to think about!
Hey Hermann, mind the bots, if they are greyed out and have a low reputation next to their name they are bots. Welcome to Steemit. I used to like the Jehovas Witness guy that came to my door every other week, I must be a bit weird. Cults are serious stuff, especially when your born into them. Anyway, let me know if you need any help around.
Hey @liber first, thanks for the tip about the bots... just started today. Yeah, about being a JW, the way I see it now, it was an interesting, confusing, weird and sad experience that has, so to speak, a very long tail because there is no way of leaving them without repercussions. Either way, I must say I do have lots of good memories (the bad ones started as soon as I started freeing my mind) of the times and I did have lots of good and interesting conversation at the doors. Maybe because my main objective, even then, was not to place magazines but talk to people.
@lilianjones Greetings back!
Thanks @msjennifer... appreciated!
Thanks @steemster1