So I came across this narrative about how "strong" and "amazing" we (humans) are. A real feel-good post. Really gets your nuts feeling real pretty. Anyway, it all came about because there was a discussion about how people shouldn't sell themselves short and stop saying negative things about themselves. I guess I could agree, but I think for the majority, I don't. And I don't think that's a bad thing - and here's why.
NOTE: Speaking only for myself and not everyone else. If you happen to think the way I do, then I hope it helps? But if you're the type of person who "lives, laughs, and loves" and wants to be reminded of such a mantra on a throw pillow then we can talk about you another time.
I think you need to kick yourself in the butt. You need to turn that kind of negative feedback from yourself to drive positive change. Easier said than done. I'm sure there are things like depression and anxiety that - when following this advice - may not necessarily be a good thing. However, I'd like to relate to my own experiences in that maybe looking yourself in the mirror every once in awhile and saying what a piece of crap you are forces you to make changes so the next time you walk by a mirror you'll have something better to say.
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| "Yup, still bald - but damn is my hair soft" |
Back to that article. I get that it's trying to empower you into thinking you're better than you think you are, but I think the execution is a bit weak and over dramatic. It gets into all these science facts about your body to make it seem like you're some kind of super human. The delivery to me is the worst of it all. Something like,
"The next time you think you're not strong enough, just remember that your brain has enough memory to store X terabytes of data, your heart uses enough energy to drive a truck for X days..."
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| And you have as many nipples as the number of fucks I give, minus 2 (hopefully) |
To me that kind of narrative is ridiculous and pandering. Spewing out these facts in a way that no one would even dare fact check them is cringe worthy. Did you guys know that we're made up of enough water to sustain an African colony for a week? Fact check that. I'm not going to because it doesn't matter - because of normalization (and also I made that shit up). The article talks about how amazing you are because you can do all these "amazing" things. Hey, guess what - so can everyone else. That's where the argument falls apart. Next time you're down and thinking, "man I'm weak and worthless, but hey my heart uses energy to drive a truck for X days!" Guess what? So can I. And so can my boss. And so can everyone else. See what I'm getting at here?
You're not special or strong because of all these Snapple facts. Everyone is special and strong because of these Snapple facts. You need to find another way of creating positive change from your negative attitude. At the core, we're all the same. So kick yourself in the butt and be the same... in a different way.
ta ta kids
