Mirror of Perspective by Garrett R

I have a question that may not surprise you, or it may baffle you...

Why do people hide themselves, from themselves?

It is one thing to hide yourself from other, either to protect yourself or them...but what good can come of hiding yourself from the person in control of YOU?

I have this friend. She knows nothing about herself, no future plans and no past that speaks of anything remarkable...this does not phase her, nor does she seem to have any motivation to make something of herself. Does she have the tools? I don't know, and she doesn't know because she has never once explored herself.

Years back, I hid from myself without even knowing it. I never realized that my beliefs and morals came from something unquestioned and predetermined by the way I was raised. I questioned those beliefs everyday since then, I found the holes and yet, covered them because I was so conditioned to trusting my roots and not changing who I was based off of knowledge and research, rather than what I was told. I had to overcome equals, authority and myself to become my own person who thinks and talks for myself, as myself. I now know why I have my morals, rather than fearing that I am doing wrong when breaking them, I know what I believe with two sides to the story rather than one and I have learned more about myself than I ever knew existed, simply because I looked at myself as someone else, rather than myself. How's that for a change of perspective?

So to my friend, I hope she finds her strengths one day, knows her weaknesses... perhaps even understands what she can do for herself and others. No one can help her, except her, the "other her", the one that is hidden from her, under the mundane of her own self-ignorance.

So, I'm not going to tell you to look in the mirror of perspective...but maybe, you should consider asking yourself...

Are you sure that your own reflection will be staring back at you?

"I say: liberate yourself as far as you can, and you have done your part; for it is not given to every one to break through all limits, or, more expressively, not to everyone is that a limit which is a limit for the rest. Consequently, do not tire yourself with toiling at the limits of others; enough if you tear down yours. [...] He who overturns one of his limits may have shown others the way and the means; the overturning of their limits remains their affair....."
– Max Stirner, The Ego and Its Own p. 127


Be Yourself and Know Yourself,

Garrett R.