Surface, Motive, Essence
Everything in life can be evaluated in 3 ways:
1. by Surface
2. by Motive
3. by Essence
Surface tells us what a thing is. Or it lets us know what has happened. We see Surface with perfect clarity. But does it tell the whole truth?
Why a thing is – or why an event has happened – can be determined only by probing into Motive; driving force; unmet need. This is true whether you're studying planetary movements, chemical reactions or social relationships.
But when Surface and Motive are gone, Essence is what remains.
You haven't been confusing these three, have you?
Those who see surface and think they see essence are easily duped. They are the “suckers” spoken of by W.C. Fields and “there is one born every minute.” Even more dangerous is to assume that motive is essence; do this and you will become the financial backer of every sincere but misguided friend who believes deeply in a bad idea. But saddest of all is to stand in the presence of essence and see only surface. These will surely entertain angels unawares as they fail to notice the wonders of life.
Fiction author David Farland writes, “Every man defines himself as a lord unto himself, and inherits a birthright of three Domains: the Visible Domain of things we can see and touch [surface]; the Communal Domain made up of our relationships to others [motive]; and the Invisible Domain – territories we cannot see, but which we actively protect nonetheless [essence].”
Now look into the mirror and find 3 people:
Surface: the person others believe you to be.
Motive: the person you believe yourself to be.
Essence: the person God knows you to be.
The late Quentin Crisp once said, “If you describe things as better than they are, you are considered to be a romantic; if you describe things as worse than they are, you will be called a realist; and if you describe things exactly as they are, you will be thought of as a satirist.” See the pattern? The romantic describes things according to Motive; the realist, according to Surface; the satirist –the comedian – according to Essence.
Some people live only on the Surface, never staring deeply into their own Motives or into the eyes of eternity. And it angers them to be reminded that they should.
Please don't be one of those people.
Roy H. Williams
PS – The great Christopher J. Maddock, writing coach extraordinaire, is back at Wizard Academy after taking a 2-year sabbatical to become a world champion snowboarder. What Chris can teach you about writing in a single day! (Yes, this is the same Chris that Roy mentions in all his books. Remember “Pointing Chris Like a Gun” in the original Wizard of Ads?) Check out hisAdvanced Wordsmithing course atwizardacademy.org and remember; immediately following graduation from Chris's class on the 5th of May you will become an Academy graduate and therefore eligible to attend all future courses at half price… like Michele Miller's 2-day course onMarketing to Women that begins the very next day… – Corrine Taylor