Reading00: The Parable of the Talents
The Parable of the Talents tells an important story about using the skills and talents you are given, no matter what you have. Everyone has a different set of skills, as each of these servants were given different amounts of money. The first two servants, even though they were given different amounts of money, they were able to use it well and double what they had. The last servant on the other hand, was scared to spend what he had and was unable to do anything with what he was given other than hide it, which angered his master. So the third servants money was given to the first, who was able to double what he had.
In other words, never be scared to use what you have to grow. It is easy to lose confidence when you see so many people with so much more knowledge than you create amazing things. However, it is important to know that even these people started with very little, and they used what they had to continue growing and become the people they are now. No one starts off knowing everything; it takes effort to grow and build off what you have. This applies personally to me within my siblings. I am better at math and science, while my younger sister is better at arts. My younger sister used to think that her skills were not worth as much compared to mine because we were so different. However, I think this parable would encourage her not to compare her skills to others and to use her skills to improve what she has, as everyone is given a different skill-set.
I find this to be very true about my own computing skills and talents. If I don’t continuously try to use what I have to improve, I’ll probably end up forgetting things I’ve already learned and fall behind very fast. Programming is best learned and retained when applied often.
— Borah Chong