Be Yourself

Many times we express our adulation towards a celebrity and silently hope that we too must be "like them". To be "like them" we consciously emulate their mannerisms & try to be them. So engrossed are we in this process that we seldom ever realize that we are by ourselves a different person.

We may hide our true self behind politically correct "opinions" and manners. But at the bottom, every man knows it well that he is unique creature, and that by no other probability will such a fantastically designed person exist, with a deeply interwoven attitudes & beliefs, closely held values & perception of life. By no other chance would so many incidents shape his thinking, his upbringing shape his culture, his mind so very unique integrate all those things to form a coherent perception about everything in life.

A complete opposite of this situation are few ultra-modernistic guys who make it a point to be different for no other purpose than to attract attention thus. Please note, that I don't mean this when I say "Be Yourself"! All I mean, is to truly realize that you have your own set of positives & negatives and by no external or artificial make-up can this be concealed. And rather, far from attempting to shamefacedly conceal them, be openly ready to admit them and move forward away from fault-picking and hypocrisies.

Life then ceases to be a race for outwitting others in being themselves, i.e. out-personalizing others !!!! It becomes a endeavor to flow with situations rather than facing them.

Often, our perception about the "cool" things is determined by few people who deliberately thrust their opinions on others. Then, associating it with being liberal, broadminded, "cool", stylish they are successful in thwarting an rebellion to their cause. Often, opposing them implicitly means that you're not liberal, good etc etc... Thus, their gameplan is most subtle and usually successful in imposing it on others.

Now, one might ask that how's it that so many are fooled by so simple a gameplan. How is it that few things gain instant popularity within a short duration. And also why within a very short duration certain things go out of fashion. In a very partial answer I would like to bring their attention to a mathematical arithmetic progression by name Geometric progression.

If one person tells about something to 2 persons and if hereafter we assume that each person keeps telling the same to 2 persons, then following a tree, we shall soon have astronomical numbers at our disposal. Even if this process is repeated 10 times, it equals 1000 persons approx.. Now, fashions and fads depend on such things only and precisely through this word of mouth we frequently observe that despite modest promotion few things rock while other heavily promoted things sink. (For more intricate details pl refer to "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell)

Skipping aside these details, the point which I want to make is that besides those celebrities, each and every individual is different and unique. The trouble is merely that we fear to be expressive of our individuality because we see ourselves primarily through the eyes of our neighbors. Deeply conspired into believing that only a specific set of attributes account for what is fashionable people often are at loss to understand why they alone are so different from others.But the truth is that not only them, but every person is different from one-another and people actually have no concrete view of anything save that which is made popular.

These are human, all too human aspects of mankind which are not by any means so unpardonable, but these need to be rectified. Most of these stereotypes are especially calculated to profit marketers whose battle is for man's mind. Their profession is a battle of perceptions. Hence, the likeliest benefactor is usually only them and others unknowingly become their tools. To be aware of this, is the first step towards freeing oneself. And for all the weaknesses, man still is free the instant he wants to be. (as far as de-tuning is concerned).

Say, in the kingdom of Sparta, mental brilliance would have not been admired while disciplined & skilled adeptness in war was decidedly the most adored thing ever. Chivalry of Knights of Medieval Ages forbid them to attack an unprepared or weaponless enemy, their conduct was considered to be highest personification of virtue. But with the advent of gun-powder, it became meaningless to be strong or weak as long as one held a gun. Now, in this context, the previous conduct would sound stupid and not virtuous.In this present age, the skill of oratory is considered to be very vital to all political leaders and we have physically not-so-fit leaders ruling the roost.

My point, is that what is fashionable is to a very significant extent dependent on the age where we live in, and nothing per se is good or bad. A emotionally strung song might be pleasing to a sorrowful person, unpleasant to an emotionally stable person and irrelevant to a deaf person. The naming of cool or un-cool is simply meaningless in the context of this world, and these are merely human connotations after generalizing few great leaders.

You are the only person in this whole world who's like you. And there's none other in this world who's fully like you. AND BETWEEN ONE AND NONE LIES INFINITY.