“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

If you are highly talented in any way, play the talent down or be extremely humble in its performance or expression, because other people will envy you, or be afraid of you, or try to drag you down “to their own level.”

You were each surrounded by some highly unfortunate beliefs, that were at least partially paranoid, but in any case unfortunate. They were beliefs that had to do with talent, ability, or genius —

(4:12.) These were distortive offshoots connected with misinterpretations of ideas of equality, connected with a democratic government. These same ideas also had involvements with psychology, dealing with “the norm,” the average man, and so forth. People try to be as much as possible like their neighbors, hiding eccentricities, failings and even talents and abilities that might close them off from their fellows. The end result was a series of beliefs that ran as follows:

(Long pause at 4:16.) The more unusual and original your gift, the more you must protect yourself from the distrust of others. This line of belief continues as follows: If your talent is extremely unique or original, it may be safer to deny it entirely, or to adopt some disability or handicap that will quell the jealousy or envy of others who might otherwise hunt you down.

There is no one with a great talent who does not use it, for the drive is comparable to the talent, and the whole personality knows about it as the flower knows about blossoms. [...]

[...] He cannot smother the person and cultivate the flower of his talent. [...]

[...] Now those with strong talents are more aware than others of the power of energy. [...]

[...] When you were attempting to take your father’s place, you used your talent as your mother wanted you to. She had no use for your father’s talent of inventiveness, because he did not use it to make money.

[...] You felt that your talent was giving you but a shaky foundation or basis within economic and social realities.

[...] You were angry at your talent, wishing it were one that was more quickly recognized in financial terms in your society.

[...] (Pause.) You can step out, so to speak, you can allow yourself to rely upon the integrity of spontaneity as it applies to your painting and to your talent.

[...] Contrary to most thought on such matters, no one is given a particular amount of talent that must then be used.

Talent does not come in quantities. [...]

You are not given 800 or 5,000 milligrams of talent. [...]

[...] And determined that he would try to circumvent it—hence your sketches in Dialogues; for despite your avid and determined dislike of the marketplace and its imperfections, of which he is more aware than you think, he thought that he would still see to it that your talent was placed to some extent at least before the world —rail as you would against the stupidities and poor craftsmanship. [...]

[...] The book also however shines with your own contribution, and if you would hide your talent, he consistently demanded that you show it. [...]

The ego must sit lightly, otherwise it can smother the talent that lies beneath. This is very properly your talent, your talent as a personality at this particular time. [...]

[...] When these goals and talents are attributed to the ego alone they are so to speak decapitated.

[...] From it springs your talent. [...]

[...] It puts you back, or it puts your creative talents back, in the driver’s seat. [...]

[...] You will always find someone more talented than you are in some way, and so will continue to be dissatisfied. [...] Do not deride yourself because you have not reached some great ideal, but start to use those talents that you have to the best of your ability, knowing that in them lies your own individual fulfillment.

[...] Any talent or achievement should be noted as honestly as you recorded the most minute “defects” earlier.

[...] I am not usually so severe but all of you in the room are talented and your responsibility is directly in proportion to your talent and therefore you cannot afford self-pity or complacency or regret.

[...] Talents must be polished, now or later.

(“Why must talents be polished now or later?”)

[...] When you try to tie a great talent down to a practical end like “making a living,” then you are wasteful (forcefully).

In your society talent, even genius, tries to ally itself, at least for a while, with your economic needs, for if the body does not eat the abilities will not survive. [...]

[...] Ruburt’s talents are luxurious. [...]

Think how thankful you are to have such a talent. [...] Be thankful for the talent, be thankful that others appreciate it. [...]

You must share your talent, that is why you have it. [...]

[...] Because he felt you loved him for his talent alone, then his books became also gifts to you beside their meaning for himself. [...] “I still have my talent. [...]

[...] Not only did his book have to be good, you see, but financially successful since you loved him for his talents mainly, and the two were combined. [...]

[...] She was pleased—with your talent, per se, but she was jealous of you. [...] You also used the drawing and your talent to some degree as a method of exerting your own independence from her oftentimes smothering love. [...]

[...] You can say “Why did my artistic talent not mature when I was young?” Yet the dimensions of personality are such that basically the question is shallow. [...]

[...] You were lucky in your relationship with Miss Bowman.¹ Your talent brought you into correspondence with her. [...]

Whether or not the sessions happened as they did, however, once the two of you met, the probability brought about by your relationship meant that in one way or another you would seek out a larger context of consciousness — a context, because of your talents, that would not remain private, but attract others (intently).

([Pat:] “What talents have I to offer the world?”)

You have an ability to develop awareness in young people…and to bring them to a point of enthusiasm, to spark their…no mean talent…

[...] Simply as an analogy, it would be as if within physical reality you lived, say, the life of a rich man of great talent, the life of a poor man with entirely different talents, and the life of a mother and career woman. [...]

If another man, for example, does not believe that artistic talent of high degree cannot exist side by side with wealth, then your truth is not his truth, and he is not threatened by wealth, nor is his ability.

Your talent is indeed excellent, and of the highest quality. [...]

It did not you see before you realized that you were basically an artist, because then the two elements of talent and money were not in contact. [...]

Whatever talents you sense you have can be developed only if you determine to do so. [...]

To some extent, a natural talent is a prerequisite for such a true dream-art scientist. [...] But the talent still exists.

Great talent requires great spontaneity, not great discipline. [...]

[...] He kept his channels to energy open, therefore the energy flowed through his work freely, and in a short period of time he could produce a painting that might take years for another as gifted to produce, who husbanded his talent as a miser.

[...] Extraordinary talent takes extraordinary discipline, and the symptoms can be used against any distraction.