“Man, know thyself”
~Socrates
I shouldn’t have to be expected to define myself because somebody else will be comforted from being able to categorise me, and yet the media constantly demands it. This unnecessary pressure creates all kinds of issues which are otherwise avoidable.
Whether confident in whom they are or not, people continuously compare themselves to other people. Judging by the majority of the population, people look up rather than down when weighing out a fair comparison. The reason for this is because comparing oneself to someone who has less makes one feel almighty with a selfish twist. Humans therefore choose to challenge the people higher up in the food chain, this way they receive approval bred from sympathy. There are many people who intentionally manipulate constructed scenarios in order to receive the approval they so hungrily seek.
This is where a conflict arises. Society pushes people to know who they are and yet when they find their niche it is often not what society expects. They then hassle their way through their life doing everything in their power to be themselves in the right way.
In this century and with our system as it is at the moment, social advancement as an individual is encouraged. Alas, you have to be an ‘individual’ that is acceptable – there are rules and regulations. On the one side we have; “be yourself, don’t compromise” and on the other we face; “oh, but not like that”. How are we possibly expected to know how to learn and grow if ultimately we won’t be accepted unless we learn the correct things and grow in the correct way?
Fact: We are easier to control if we fit into the boxes they* designed for us. Our minds are easier to sway if we belong to a group.
[* The reason I say ‘they’ is because quite frankly I have no idea exactly who ‘they’ are. In this context ‘they’ are society.]
It is safe to assume that this leaves the human race lodged uncomfortably between a rock and a hard place. Ultimately engaged in battles within themselves, attempting to balance out the scales in their minds. These scales however are unmarked and so we run into a scenario where we have people attempting to correctly weigh out their personal balance on scales that have been doctored beyond reliable use.
How do we accurately attain balance in our lives if there is no suitable guideline? If the tester human (whom we presume is the ‘expected’) attains balance by having two and a half children, a wife, a nine to five job, a political party and a religion then how are the open-minded, curious, knowledge seeking and different people supposed to fit the mould and the therefore slot easily into a pre-ordered box? Lengthy question with a straightforward answer; we’re not. Those of us that do not have a category to call our own just don’t fit.
Regardless of whether we know who are or not doesn’t matter because unless we are unique in their way, no one really gives a fuck.
For God sakes if you fail at everything else in life at least be who you choose to be for yourself. You will never please them. Have hope for yourself and see the change you can bring.
“The best road to progress is freedom's road. “ ~ John F. Kennedy 
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