"In quoting others, we cite ourselves."
– Julio Cortazar
Many of us don't know how to respond to what someone else has written.
When I taught sixth grade, a staple in my room was the Wall of Profundity. Nothing but hundreds of passages from books, articles, and speeches – all indiscriminately pinned to the wall.
The passages all stood on their own and made no reference to individual people or characters or places. They were the type of passages you'd see on bumper stickers or inspirational posters or email signatures.
A few times a week, kids selected a passage that resonated with them and they wrote in their Journal of Profundity.
Respond to the passage in any way you like. What comes up for you? What makes you reflect? What inspires you or motivates you? No further instructions were given.
At the end of the semester, they had a dozen or so reflections. They picked their best ones, and developed them into complete pieces that could be read aloud.
Then we had a "Share Your Voice" night at a local cafe. The kids were empowered to continue to share their voices in all kinds of situations and for all kinds of reasons.
Adults are also inspired by the profundity of someone else's words.
But do we have the courage and creativity to see ourselves in someone else's profundity?