Just be myself? Who's that?

Well it is 4:15 in the morning and once again I find myself unable to uconsciousize myself. Being an insomniac who is roommates with an insomniac is not always the most productive situation. I oft times find myself wondering what it is like to have a normal sleeping schedule but then I get distracted and begin to think of something else. Of all the innate problems that come with insomnia there are some wonderful perks I am able to enjoy. There is certainly a lot to think about during the late hours of the night while everyone else, including the book of faces, is out of commission. The bathroom is not the only place and time to ponder and I have countless minutes to think about this and that. Recently I got caught up on a common phrase again which I find interesting. The phrase is "just be yourself". Before sending you off into the world for one thing or another people are always overly anxious to give you a word of advice. They act as though this piece of knowledge is the key to success, the main event, an exclusive understanding that is priceless--and yet it is the same general statement over and over again. Just be yourself.

What a pointless statement. What does it mean to be yourself? The more you think about it the less it makes sense why that is the thing everyone chooses to tell you. The truth is unless you are a celebrity impersonator it is impossible for you to be anyone but yourself. The world is full of different people and circumstances that you will be presented with to which you will act a certain way. Having a social life is a constant battle to try and maintain a certain level of comfort. This dictates behavior. Nobody enjoys being uncomfortable (even if sometimes people act so awkward it would appear that they do).We conform and adapt to each situation to glean the maximum amount of comfort we can. These changes in behavior do not take away from who we are but instead help define us as a person. We are presented with a situation and we react to it. I act differently around my parents than I do my boss or my close friends. And I react differently around attractive women than I do hobos or Donovan. Those you are around influence the way you act. Personality is malleable so how can you avoid being yourself, sociable or otherwise.

I find it annoying just how often people regurgitate generic drivel instead of truly being helpful. So to those anxious to give advice to those in need make it something worth saying. Just be yourself is a pointless statement while on the other hand remember what you stand for is truly something worth thinking about. Aspects of personality change but good standards never should. Being yourself won't get you anywhere you want to go but being like Christ will yield the desired destination. We are built to change so be who you need to be not who you think you are.