Food for thought not available at chomps! :p
What is image? What is our true self? In all humans, these two characteristics overlap naturally. The difference between all of us is the extent of overlapping. In the words of Eric, the people who are strong enough to be different are those who don't bother upkeeping an image for others. i.e. the overlapping is nearly 100%. Personally, I think this is what we should all strive to achieve, although we inevitably fall short all the time. Still, it serves as a good goal in life doesn't it? To keep an image is to show a facade that keeps up with what people think we should be. Why do we do this? A sign of weakness perhaps? That we don't have confidence in ourselves. Our worry of not being accepted. I guess once that barrier's overcome, we will not be persuaded to keep an image. Normally in schooling context, this would apply to 'uncool' people who try to do things that make them 'cooler'. But at the end of the day, it is they themselves who decide that they're 'uncool'. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It's a matter of how strong you believe in your own opinion, i.e. whether your opinion counts to yourself.
On to the issue of acceptance, I guess environment really plays a part. If one were surrounded by a group of highly judgemental beings, then upholding a certain image would definitely be inevitable. There are no exceptions, just different circumstances. And I would like to showcase my class as an example, at least among the guys. We accept who we are with our differences. That's why we're able to exist so comfortably with each other and forsake our supposed image. The stuff we do is so extremely retarded but we still do it. I think it's because being retarded is accepted amongst us. Now, doesn't this whole acceptance thing comes full circle? People want to be 'cool' so that they can be accepted. Acceptance is so important to a human being. Simple as that. By the way it's ranked second in Maslow's hierarchy of needs if I'm not wrong.
Carefree-ness. Why can't we be carefree? Not only is it due to society being judgemental, but it is also because we ourselves set our own boundaries! This is none other than being sensitive and tactful in different situations. Be it towards guys or girls, we have to be sensitive, perhaps more so when dealing with girls in my opinion. Simply because girls tend to pick up more things like body language and the way sentences are phrased and ideas put across. Guess that is one of the defining characteristics of a girl.
So we should think first before we act right? Thinking is free. And the benefits derived are great. So why not think first? Actually there are two schools of thought here and it really depends on which school of thought u subscribe to. On one hand you want to be sensitive to others, on the other, you want to express what you really think. Then again, vetting what you say is being tactful. And the reason behind tact is a cost-benefit analysis where the marginal costs of saying something is greater than the marginal benefits. So at the end of the day the other party receives an altered and delayed (depends on how fast you think on your feet) reaction. Guess it all boils down to whether we want to incur the wrath of others by speaking what we think, and hurting them in the process. I suppose these are times when the truth should be left alone and uncovered, when lies or half truths are welcome. Perhaps the phrase "zong yan ni er li yu bing, liang yao ku kou li yu xing" does not always apply yea?
I don't think upkeeping an image is worth it now, and it will never be. We should all live as ourselves and not try to be something we aren't just to be accepted in society. We should all believe in ourselves! What we are should be what we portray in the first place so there's no need to have an image. If we all subscribed to a certain image, where then would the diversity be? (It's like Singapore's education system. Demeaning as it may sound, we are mere products of the Singapore factory, all churned out according to a certain mould decided by the government.)
To sum everything up, I leave you with this quote from "The Talented Mr. Ripley"
It's better to be a real nobody than a fake somebody.
On to the issue of acceptance, I guess environment really plays a part. If one were surrounded by a group of highly judgemental beings, then upholding a certain image would definitely be inevitable. There are no exceptions, just different circumstances. And I would like to showcase my class as an example, at least among the guys. We accept who we are with our differences. That's why we're able to exist so comfortably with each other and forsake our supposed image. The stuff we do is so extremely retarded but we still do it. I think it's because being retarded is accepted amongst us. Now, doesn't this whole acceptance thing comes full circle? People want to be 'cool' so that they can be accepted. Acceptance is so important to a human being. Simple as that. By the way it's ranked second in Maslow's hierarchy of needs if I'm not wrong.
Carefree-ness. Why can't we be carefree? Not only is it due to society being judgemental, but it is also because we ourselves set our own boundaries! This is none other than being sensitive and tactful in different situations. Be it towards guys or girls, we have to be sensitive, perhaps more so when dealing with girls in my opinion. Simply because girls tend to pick up more things like body language and the way sentences are phrased and ideas put across. Guess that is one of the defining characteristics of a girl.
So we should think first before we act right? Thinking is free. And the benefits derived are great. So why not think first? Actually there are two schools of thought here and it really depends on which school of thought u subscribe to. On one hand you want to be sensitive to others, on the other, you want to express what you really think. Then again, vetting what you say is being tactful. And the reason behind tact is a cost-benefit analysis where the marginal costs of saying something is greater than the marginal benefits. So at the end of the day the other party receives an altered and delayed (depends on how fast you think on your feet) reaction. Guess it all boils down to whether we want to incur the wrath of others by speaking what we think, and hurting them in the process. I suppose these are times when the truth should be left alone and uncovered, when lies or half truths are welcome. Perhaps the phrase "zong yan ni er li yu bing, liang yao ku kou li yu xing" does not always apply yea?
I don't think upkeeping an image is worth it now, and it will never be. We should all live as ourselves and not try to be something we aren't just to be accepted in society. We should all believe in ourselves! What we are should be what we portray in the first place so there's no need to have an image. If we all subscribed to a certain image, where then would the diversity be? (It's like Singapore's education system. Demeaning as it may sound, we are mere products of the Singapore factory, all churned out according to a certain mould decided by the government.)
To sum everything up, I leave you with this quote from "The Talented Mr. Ripley"
It's better to be a real nobody than a fake somebody.
posted by nic. @ 1:43 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home