"[Our] friendship is a giant cookie!"

[fishpatrol]

So, here's the thing: what does it mean to "be yourself" or to "stay true to yourself"?

I'm working on a project relating to self-concept and negative mood and I think I'm being supraliminally primed to think about the self all the time now (and I also blame my causeless negative mood from this week on supraliminal priming).

Anyway, back on track. The problem with the whole "be yourself" thing is that the self is made of multiple components. In particular, I'm thinking of the self-discrepancy theory, where there is an ideal-self (which consists of your dreams and aspirations), an ought-self (duties, obligations, what others expect of you), and your actual self. I've currently found myself in a bit of a conundrum: my ideal-self and my ought-self agree on the course of action I should take, while my actual self would prefer (based on past experience and general behavioural tendencies) to take an entirely different path.

Sitcoms usually aren't full of life-lessons, but I thought Jeff Winger's line from yesterday's episode of Community -- "Do you try to evolve or do you try to know what you are?" -- was somewhat profound (and highly relevant as he was attempting to make a choice between being someone he aspires to be or being who he actually is -- haha, well, that's an awkwardly phrased sentence. I'm sure you get the gist of it).

In less thinky-thought news:
-I got a haircut (you know who else needs a haircut? Sam Winchester. I hope for the return of floppy bangs in S6!) and new glasses
-I have no idea where May went (what the heck have I been doing for the past few weeks?)
-I really want to take a vacation (and everyone in my program says I should get away while I can!). My ideal vacation would involve a private island --or even a deserted island would do, as long as there's wi-fi-- with Rodney, Rella, and maybe Shel. The Macbook, iPod, and Kindle, respectively. ;)
-I'm half way through Burn Notice (if any of you watch White Collar, Psych, and Burn Notice, you have to watch these crossover ads -- Fiona hiding her weapons from Peter! Neal flirting with Gus! \o/)
-I have the first two episodes of Fringe and Castle downloaded, just waiting to be watched. Oh, TV♥

Comments

[cantarina]

Take a long weekend (obviously, not this one) and go! Hop on a bus to somewhere else in the province and hole up there for a couple of nights. Or crash with some out-of-town friends? You can't do entirely private, but you could do anonymous, which might be almost as good.

Sad to say, but I think that the floppy bangs are a pipe dream :/ Not adult enough a look. Even if he does look very charming in them.

[fishpatrol]

I'm the type of person who plans extensively before going anywhere, so an impulsive escape-from-the-province would be unlikely -- but I should plan to just get out of the city for a while. I did promise my friend that I'd visit her in Cambridge (Ontario, not England, obvs ;)).

I'd be happy if he would even just get a trim! And maybe a bit of a fringe to distract attention away from his...sizable forehead.

[cantarina]

Actually, that fits a lot better with what I know of you than a spontaneous trip. Either way, do it!

You'll have to wait and see what photos of Jared come out over the summer. Once shooting has started again, you may be able to get an idea :P

[postingwhore.livejournal.com]

what does it mean to "be yourself" or to "stay true to yourself"?
Doing what one wants without giving in to what one thinks one ought to do or is being pressured to do. :P

Yeah, my May has disappeared, too, and I still can't be bothered to care...:|

[fishpatrol]

But what if your ideal self (what you desire for yourself) = your ought self (what others expect of you) ≠ your actual self? If you went for something that both you and others want of you, but this something is different from who you are or what you are or whatever your definition is of "the essence of you" -- is this still being true to yourself? (It's late and I'm confusing myself, so, um, good luck untangling that mess of a sentence...? XD;;)

[postingwhore.livejournal.com]

well...it's very rare for one's ideal self to be one's actual self...that's why it's ideal. :P

If you went for something that both you and others want of you, but this something is different from who you are or what you are or whatever your definition is of "the essence of you" -- is this still being true to yourself?
Depends on how much you want to be your ideal self. :P Or if your ideal self is a desire created mostly by outside influence. :P

[scorpiod1.livejournal.com]

I would think staying true to yourself is doing what you want without changing yourself to fit what others or society thinks you should be.

Those crossover ads are AMAZING.

[fishpatrol]

I find that sometimes it's difficult to differentiate between what you want and what you think others want of you since we're so heavily influenced (often subconsciously) by societal values and norms.

INORITE. :D Now all they need to do is have an actual crossover episode...

[disutansu.livejournal.com]

That is an interesting question. @_@ My own self is dependent on the situation, which is different for each one. I suppose staying true to yourself is not denying any other part of yourself if it comes up in a situation where it normally doesn't? [/incoherent] That's what I think. ^^;;