wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are

"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are."

Kurt Cobain

 

This morning this quote (by Kurt Cobain) popped up on my Google account. Typically I ignore the news stories or advertisements posted there, but for some reason this caught my attention and it provided a stark reminder for one of the key themes in my posts lately: acceptance. Though I believe this is something most of us know, it doesn't hurt to be reminded that wanting to be someone else -- prettier, smarter, funnier, richer, happier, etc. -- does not do the person we are any good. I believe people can change, but I also believe changing oneself, the core of one's being, is extremely hard to do and rarely happens. While we may be able to change certain things about ourselves, in essence we are who we are.

Though I often contemplate acceptance and try to find various ways to accept myself and the world around me, Cobain's quote brings the concept of acceptance into a new light. Not only is not accepting ourselves harmful to our emotional and spiritual states, but it is also wasteful. In focusing on what we could be or what we want to be, we are essentially ignoring who we are. We are wasting ourselves.

Cliche as it may sound, each person has something -- a unique perspective and entity -- to bring to the world. If he or she is focused on becoming (or wanting to become) someone else, the true self becomes buried under a pile of "I wish I could's" and "If only I were's". The desire to be like others, to stray towards something other than one's true nature, strikes me as extremely negative. In not accepting who you, you are wasting yourself and, in fact, wasting your life.

I'm certain almost everyone has the desire to be someone else or like someone else from time to time, but it is important that we recognize this desire, remain conscious of it, and realize the potential it has to bring negativity into our lives. Not only does the yearning to be like another person cause stress, pain, and confusion, but it also allows the true self to exist in a state of disuse. Whatever you believe we are here for, it cannot be true that we are here to be wasted. Consider this the next time you doubt yourself or cannot find the strength to accept who you are: do I really want to waste the person I am?

Comments

[AllTheSmallThings]

this is cool. i like it. good job :)

[Darren Dennis]

This is a great piece of writing, very thought-provoking. Thanks for sharing (p.s. I've just sent a friend request to your FB page, and posted a link to this article on my FB)
Cheers again,
Darren

[positively present]

Darren - Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed this and thanks for the FB request. I just started using FB (way behind the times, I know!) and I appreciate you sharing the link!