Be yourself, everyone else is taken (Oscar Wilde)
This is another short essay.I hope you enjoy it
Be yourself, everyone else is taken (Oscar Wilde)
In order to be oneself, one has to take risks, to accept that one is not perfect and to be courageous enough to say what one really thinks. Nowadays, it’s a tremendous act of bravery to be original instead of a pathetic replication of someone else. Role models are just that, and they are not necessarily someone to imitate to the letter, an image to clone or a mind to reproduce. “Most people are other people; their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” –Oscar Wilde. Lacking spontaneity, originality or individuality is the worst flaw one can has, for a mediocre copy of someone else is taking one’s place.
It is considered that the “different” is wrong; people should follow societies’ expectations and norms, which are implicitly or explicitly stated as acceptable for human behavior. The “odd” can be not only dangerous, but also a potential element of corruption. Consequently, “GOOD” people fear the ones who “set a bad example”, so the “rotten” people are a problem to solve by DISCRIMINATING, PERSECUTING or ATTACKING in repeatedly situations. Thus, it’s believed that it’s easier to fulfill society’s expectation, for life would be quite more successful and profitable. However, as Oscar Wilde said, “to be natural is such a difficult pose to keep up”; to be someone else all the time is so torturing and tiresome that it can be said to be impossible. It’s true that people who speak up their minds find a strong opposition from society, but at least they know who they are and are able to think by themselves.
First of all, to have an opinion, a style, a way of thinking and a defined character and personality is fantastic. Being diversity a lot more profitable than sameness, which is awfully boring, it must be encouraged in order to have a developing society. Evolution and developing is the result of original ideas. There are many examples of great minds who dared to think different and astonished the world like Columbus, Martin Luther king, Nietzsche, Leonardo Da Vinci, etc. The most remembered and respected people are the ones who were able to give new ideas, concepts and views of the world. The world needs originality, for there is more than enough imitations in the world.
Being open and honest will lead to the liberation from “social masks” also called hypocrisy, which is the real decadence of a society. There is a tendency to disregard our principles to stay out of trouble, to hide our insecurities and to fit in with others. Besides, in the masses you are one more, but alone you are nothing. What a pity! Potential great minds wasted! If one does the same as others, which is the purpose of one’s life?
Individuality is formed from committing mistakes and learning from them, from different kinds of experiences, from ideals and principles and, of course, from not jumping on the bandwagon. Individuality is an extraordinary quality very few people have. The complication in achieving individuality may be the difficulty that being different implies-cowardice- or the incapacity to think, both are possible.
In conclusion, to follow the crowd is ok for mediocre people, but not for the ones who want to be respected and listened. Leave your mask, follow your ideals instead of a crowd, and defend your point of view as a reasonable person and you will learn so many things about others and about yourself. Our existence is important; we shouldn’t hide our personality, but use it to make the world a more interesting place to live in. “Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else”- Judy Garland.
