I read an interesting article by PJ O'Rourke. I love PJ O'Rourke. Ever since I was just a lass reading "Holidays in Hell" about what it's like to take a trip to Europe, and "Parliament of Whores", a charming account of the US Congress. In this article he was addressing the cultural obsession with "being yourself". If you were to listen to Them ("Who are They?" my dad would ask, "What are Their phone numbers?") you would believe that your truest purpose in life is to discover Yourself... your innermost, truest self, and futhermore, to express this inner self at all times.

M. O'Rourke disagrees. He thinks that it is quite possible that we could look very deep into our truest selves and find someone frivolous, selfish, and careless. He says that we shouldn't try to be ourselves... we should be constantly trying to be better than we are.

I agree.

My truest self enjoys eating chocolate bars, and if I were to be true to myself, I would express myself by eating them all the time. But there is some virtue in self restraint. I would venture that there is a LOT of virtue in self restraint.

Your truest self might be someone who tells it like it is, no matter the consequences. But a better version of yourself might temper your truest self with handy characteristics like tact.

Is that selling out?

Well I'd better go off to bed, so I can be on time to work tomorrow. My truest self is sometimes late, but my ideal self is unfailingly punctual.

Note to Self:
Always carry a chocolate bar when near Zanzi.

I agree with you two, too.

(i said tootoo haha)
» Dilated on 2008-07-09 12:21:14

Hmmm... that book "Holidays in Hell" sounds interesting...

I agree to that too!
» Nuttz on 2008-07-09 01:34:51

"Is that selling out?"
Yes. But it's also called, "Being an adult who realizes that there are actual consequences to everything he or she does--whether it is done to the self or others."
» ranor on 2008-07-09 01:26:39

I like to stay myself, though myself usually hides until I'm around people I trust.

I would like to challenge myself to be more... decisive and procrastinate less.
» ikimashokie on 2008-07-10 01:26:06

I love reading your posts.
So many things in society are just seen as a good thing, even if they aren't really, or have been misconstrued. Examples:

Being yourself

Tolerance/Open-minded

...actually, those are the only ones I can think of right now. Bahaha. Interested in the second one?
» middaymoon on 2008-07-12 05:42:57

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