They say.......
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.’
They also say.....
He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away. ~Raymond Hull
and
Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep. ~Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750
I could continue with boundless quotes that appear at once to conflict perhaps.
That conflict, precisely what i've been tumbling my thoughts over for a while now.
My conclusion.........That both are entirely true. Try living your life without having other people to continue living it for, and you'll find yourself wondering what the point of wandering lonely is. Equally. Try living the life of those people in your body because you hope it will make them like you better, and soon you forget quite who it was you were to begin with.
We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin. ~André Berthiaume, Contretemps
This is the balance i'm trying to strike right now. I love people. And though sometimes of course i like to be in my own company, give me the choice and i'll always want there to be someone around to share things with, however small or insignificant those things might be. It's exactly that i think that has made me able, for as long as i can remember, to tailor myself to fit with a person, cut the version of myself that i believe they will want to be around most, and continue in that form. Although i've never pretended to like or dislike something just to be in agreement, i find myself doing what i suppose could be seen as editing myself. chopping out the parts that don't interest the other person so much, and focusing more on the common grounds and things that can be enjoyed by both parties. Where's the harm in that you'd think? And i agree, there's none, infact the person on the other side might even likely be doing the same thing. The problem comes, when you part company, but somehow, still keep up the version of you that had been at dinner or where ever you might have been. Do it for enough people and keep it up after, and soon enough, there's not many things you remember doing because YOU liked them. just you, no one to impress. no one to keep entertained but yourself.
That. Is what i need to work on. Taking a couple of steps back every so often to do something for me be it on my own or not. If i didn't care so much for the people around me i suppose it might be easier to discard what they like and think more of what i'm getting out of something. Demand to do something that suits me better than anyone else. But, nevertheless, i do care. and would hate nothing more than if i didn't. It's not my aim to be inconsiderate or unaccommodating to anyone.
Just a little more attentive to me i suppose, before i forget the things that make up me, the things i dare say all these people in my life might have liked or noticed about me in the first place perhaps? And i'd encourage, and will, everyone i know to do the same. When we're all different but together in harmony is when we're all at our best <3
They also say.....
He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away. ~Raymond Hull
and
Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep. ~Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750
I could continue with boundless quotes that appear at once to conflict perhaps.
That conflict, precisely what i've been tumbling my thoughts over for a while now.
My conclusion.........That both are entirely true. Try living your life without having other people to continue living it for, and you'll find yourself wondering what the point of wandering lonely is. Equally. Try living the life of those people in your body because you hope it will make them like you better, and soon you forget quite who it was you were to begin with.
We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin. ~André Berthiaume, Contretemps
This is the balance i'm trying to strike right now. I love people. And though sometimes of course i like to be in my own company, give me the choice and i'll always want there to be someone around to share things with, however small or insignificant those things might be. It's exactly that i think that has made me able, for as long as i can remember, to tailor myself to fit with a person, cut the version of myself that i believe they will want to be around most, and continue in that form. Although i've never pretended to like or dislike something just to be in agreement, i find myself doing what i suppose could be seen as editing myself. chopping out the parts that don't interest the other person so much, and focusing more on the common grounds and things that can be enjoyed by both parties. Where's the harm in that you'd think? And i agree, there's none, infact the person on the other side might even likely be doing the same thing. The problem comes, when you part company, but somehow, still keep up the version of you that had been at dinner or where ever you might have been. Do it for enough people and keep it up after, and soon enough, there's not many things you remember doing because YOU liked them. just you, no one to impress. no one to keep entertained but yourself.
That. Is what i need to work on. Taking a couple of steps back every so often to do something for me be it on my own or not. If i didn't care so much for the people around me i suppose it might be easier to discard what they like and think more of what i'm getting out of something. Demand to do something that suits me better than anyone else. But, nevertheless, i do care. and would hate nothing more than if i didn't. It's not my aim to be inconsiderate or unaccommodating to anyone.
Just a little more attentive to me i suppose, before i forget the things that make up me, the things i dare say all these people in my life might have liked or noticed about me in the first place perhaps? And i'd encourage, and will, everyone i know to do the same. When we're all different but together in harmony is when we're all at our best <3