I Want To Be Like You

Doing what others do does not make you look cool. Just be what you are.
— Life Diary (@diariezolife) December 2, 2014

Today's message is about trying to be like someone else. From an early age, most of us are taught socialization skills. Socialization skills are taught so kids can learn how to relate to others, which I can agree with to an extent, but I have a problem with trying to fit in to the point where you become a cookie-cutter version of someone else. If someone has a Maserati, you go out and get one without realizing the other person probably can afford one. If you see someone dressed to impress, you upgrade your wardrobe to compete with them, and so on. Honestly, it's a bunch of nonsense trying to do what someone else does to make yourself look cool. I would expect this from children & teens because they don't know any better for the most part. Peer acceptance is critical for children & teens because they want to be liked to the point where they end up doing detrimental things.

If a child sees his friends looking crazy, that child tries to emulate their friends because they don't want to be an outcast. If (s)he doesn't go along with their friends, (s)he risks being outed from the group, and their name is dragged through the mud. What do they do? They go along because they value peer acceptance over individuality. There are some children & teens who value their individuality to where they enjoy standing out. They could care less about peer acceptance because those same people they're trying to be like, could care less about them. It's nothing for some people to stand out because in their mind, they're staying true to themselves. Those are the people I respect because they don't need acceptance from the masses. As long as their loved ones value them, that's all the acceptance they need. For me, I'm not trying to be like anyone else. I may be inspired by others, but I'm not going out of my way to emulate them because I wouldn't feel right.

In conclusion, stop trying to fit in when you were born to stand out.