For the last couple of years I have been thinking a lot about what makes a person "down to earth". Personally, I think this is the most wonderful quality a person can have & everything else comes into place when you have it. I really, really admire people that are down to earth & usually find that they are the ones I look up to. I am far from it though & think I'm a bit too spaztic to really ever become it.
But what really is being "down to earth"? It really is a hard question. Do they have to be easy going? But not a push over? I've been making a list though of qualities that I think make a person "down to earth" & getting input from those around, so here's the list of what we've got so far....
-simple but not stupid
-uncomplicated
-genuine
-grounded
-not easily riled
-considerate
-real
-know what they want in life
-easy going
-honest
-focused
-remembers & focuses on the big picture in smaller situations
What can you add? What is it that down to earth people have? Can someone become down to earth? How?
9 comments:
I remember saying some of those. You are funny. Denae, you are down to earth cause you know who you are and embrace it. And yes, you are spastic as well.
So, you know that I was reading Atlas Shrugged when I visited you last weekend, (i'm finished now), but this was a major theme for character development. And I didn't even realize it until it kept pointing it out that so many people ignore reality. How do they do it? Not acknowledging consequences to their actions, not learning the whole story and not asking the REAL, DEEP, underlying question. When people create "their own realities" is that real? NO! It is borderline schizophrenia, and instead of making excuses for themselves and the world they want to live in they are only doing themselves an injustice by not embracing the REAL world around them. Does it hurt the rest of us? My first reaction is no, you can ignore them, but then deeper thought and consciousness reveals that yes, it does negatively affect us. We have to put up with the messes that they make pursing their realities and skirt around their feelings and make laws and exceptions for the minority when laws need to be standing up for the majority.
Your question of how can one become more down to earth? Consider Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (look it up in wikipedia)and the idea that one can only move to the next level when the first are taken care of. Someone that is down to earth would logically think that they would need to take care of their food and water needs before their need for friends.
Very interesting topic; I'm glad you brought it up.
I'd like to think that down-to-earth people have the ability to logically look at both sides of an issue and understand where each side is coming from. Especially when it comes to politics, I find people that are extreme one way or the other are getting too emotional which is not a down-to-earth quality! Not that there's anything wrong with being emotional, but a down-to-earth person would recognize it, see the lack of logic therein, and seek reconciliation of the problem. So I guess I'm saying a down-to-earth person doesn't take their emotions too seriously.
bummer! I typed something up, but misspelled my screen name and couldn't change it/get back here.
Ok, so I think down to earth is someone who isn't high maintence. Someone who doesn't spend 2 hours getting all dolled up every day, someone who can laugh at themselves, someone who respects people, no matter how different they are from them, someone who enjoys life and laughing, someone you can have a good conversation with about issues you don't necessarily agree on, someone who is just kind and well, for lack of a better word, regular. (if you happened to catch Wife Swap last week, NJ mom was so totally not down to earth. She is the perfect example of the opposite of down to earth)
HI
re: JFK jr. he was cremated and buried at sea, i asked the same thing. it was beautiful though. i think you are down to earth, ben too:)
No, my dearest. My hair is BONE straight--isn't that the silliest colloquialism? I mean bones aren't really that straight.
Sorry, random thoughts by Joan.
Thanks for the sweet compliment, you cute girl :)
Frankly I think all these adjectives describe you!!!! I love you to death!
Move to NZ. That's where you'll find down to earth. Hawaii is good too!
Wow, your list of "down to earth" qualities is perfect. I never realized how much that phrase evokes and i won't be so quick to dismiss this compliment in the future. great topic, denae, i like it when you get me thinking about stuff!
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