What if being yourself isn't the best option.

Page 2 of 2 [ 19 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

Alicorn
Pileated woodpecker
Pileated woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 1 Oct 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 196

15 Jan 2007, 8:54 pm

CockneyRebel wrote:
I've heard it many times bofore from my mum. "Just be yourself and people will like you". Well, that's what I've been doing here, for the past twelve months and a bit. I've found that it's not always the best option, if you want to be friends with people. I find that I need to start being all things to all members. Talk about what they want to talk about, instead of going on my tangents about Vintage 1954 - 2005 London. I've had a whole year to expose my bleeding heart. Now it's time that I go back to my pre - 2006 habits, post about the Routemaster between every three days and three times a day, like I did with Austin Powers and Carnaby Street, durring my first months here, between 2004 and the end of 2005. My coming username will motivate me to be able to do that. "Just be yourself and people will like you", was a saying that was made-up by a person who couldn't have much, no matter how much they've tried.


"Just be yourself" (JBY) is a cop-out for the lazy. When it comes to how people treat their lives there seems to be three kinds:

1.) The kind who get better as they age.
2.) The kind that get worse as they age.
3.) The kind who stay the same.

The third kind of person is lazy and "JB-ing Y". This is what most people do. They never grow UP they just grow OLD. They keep listening to the same kind of music and still like the same things and still make the same relationship blunders at 35 as they did at 15. Growth comes slow for them if at all. Often they will resist it and keep doing silly things that are age-inappropriate. They will have shallow relationships and still do things like "boy's night out" or "girl's night out" not becuase they want to see their friends but because they can't integrate with the opposite gender. These are the people who often grow bitter at life and "wish they were in their teens / twenties / whatever, again." It's also not too uncommon for them to slide into category two.

The other kind of person is the kind who wants to get better with age and makes a conscious effort to do so. They work on their social skills. They learn new things and go to new places. These are the people who may seem boring in their teens and 20's because they are INVESTING in themselves. Their lives and their ability to deal with life gets better as they age. This kind of person doesn't wish to be any age again: they want to be right here, right now.

So no, don't JBY: work on becoming the BEST you that you can be.



Last edited by Alicorn on 15 Jan 2007, 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

9CatMom
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Jan 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,403

15 Jan 2007, 9:35 pm

I have found that the Internet is the best place to be yourself. I found a cat site that I post on regularly. I can talk about my cats all I want without sounding weird because everyone loves cats as much as I do. I can also talk about anything else I want to talk about, both here and on my cat site. Luckily, I work at an animal friendly workplace, so I can talk about my pets all I want to.



Tim_Tex
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Jul 2004
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 45,515
Location: Houston, Texas

15 Jan 2007, 9:37 pm

9CatMom wrote:
I have found that the Internet is the best place to be yourself. I found a cat site that I post on regularly. I can talk about my cats all I want without sounding weird because everyone loves cats as much as I do. I can also talk about anything else I want to talk about, both here and on my cat site. Luckily, I work at an animal friendly workplace, so I can talk about my pets all I want to.


I agree 100%

Tim


_________________
Who’s better at math than a robot? They’re made of math!

Now proficient in ChatGPT!