Existential Psychology

Original You

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Consider the magnitude of the fact that there has never been another you in the history of humanity and there never will be again. You are one of a kind, 100% original, the definition of limited edition. What a tremendous waste of time and energy to compare yourself to others, pining away over traits you lack and wish you had or finding comfort and security by trying to be like everybody else.

However tight you shut your eyes and however hard you wish, when you open them back up the face you see in the mirror will be your own. When you try to be like others the closest you can ever come is a cheap replica, easily replaceable and not really worth remark.

Why waste your precious energy comparing when you can use it to actualize? When we compare ourselves to others we miss out on the chance to develop our own unique talents and traits and become the people we really are. Beautiful is people who are on the path of self-actualization, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. When you peel back all the layers of comparisons, societal norms, and cultural rules for living you can find that compass, that deep wisdom that tells you who and what you are meant to be. We are not talking about your conscience, which is similar to Freud’s superego and is more often than not a conglomeration of external values that have been internalized through indoctrination. We are talking about your Self, your internal voice that wants you to grow and wants you to become who you are.

The human need for acceptance and the terror of social ostracism are two of the biggest reasons that we hope to blend in, to be, think, and act like everybody else. But there are great people out there waiting to embrace you and accept you for being unique, for being the vibrant, alive, free thinking, original individual you know you are deep down. These people are the ones worth having in your life, not those who are only willing to accept you if you follow a set script for living and being.

When you do away with comparisons and focus on your own growth, what you are left with is pride and happiness about who you are becoming. There will only ever be one you, and the question you’ve got to ask is whether you want to use the precious gift of life to be a replica or to become the fullest possible version of who you really are.

 

 

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