Word of the week: FLAIR
Related expressions
1. to have a flair for something – to have a natural ability to do something well.
John has a flair for public speaking. He wins the attention of the crowd within minutes.
2.to squander – to waste or not take advantage of something.
We squandered our chance of being in the final by underestimating our competitors.
3. to mesmerize – to have someone’s attention completely so that they cannot think of anything else.
The whole audience was mesmerized by the child’s stunning singing.
In context
Do you have a flair for anything? Is there something you do particularly well, like writing, cooking or maybe dancing? In the last few months we enjoyed an array of TV shows which showcased people with exceptional talents. Viewers all over Poland were drawn to their TV sets, like moths to a flame, to support their favorite contestants. They were almost mesmerized by their performances. And rightly so, as some of those performances grabbed you by the heart.
How can we recognize that somebody has a flair for something? Highly talented people have very different values and motivation from the majority of other people. More is expected of them and they expect more in return. They can deal with more complexity but are more complex themselves. Some hide their talents for fear of being ridiculed, or are afraid to stand out from the crowd. That is why, in some cases, talents are squandered.
So maybe it’s a good idea to give people the opportunity to show their talents to the world, whatever those talents may be. To quote Brendan Francis, an Irish novelist and poet: “If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don’t hoard it. Don’t dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke.”
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Talented people whose gifts were wasted
Born to explore
Listen and repeat
