We walk through our lives with rules stained in the back of our minds and don't always stop to think about them. We label one another and make assumptions on a daily basis and judge people based off of ideas we created in our heads. We do a lot of things without taking the time to really think about them, and follow a set of unwritten rules in an imaginary handbook made by Society.
So lets stop and take a better look at the rules we mindlessly abide by and play a round of "Society Says", shall we?
Society says, "expressing how you feel is a sign of weakness."
Showing how much you care and being in touch with your emotions is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of courage. Vulnerability is something we all fear and it takes great strength to overcome. Society says we should be embarrassed of or hide our emotions and feelings, but I say they're wrong. I say, emotions are not easy to express, and doing something that's difficult doesn't make you weak, it makes you brave. To be emotionally naked, is brave.
Society says, "you should try to impress people."
The world constantly tells you to be something you are not, but you don't have to prove anything to anybody but yourself. You don't have to "impress" anybody. You are here to live for yourself and meet only your own expectations. The amount of friends you have does not make you any more or less relevant or important or worthy. Don't get comfortable throwing away who you are just to get people to like you. Surround yourself by those who accept you for who you are and who you want to be, not by people that love you for being someone you're not. You'll start to do things for all the wrong reasons. Don't let being fake become a trend you're a part of.
Society says, "if you smile and laugh a lot it means you're happy."
Does it really? Do you know how many people hide their aching wounds behind a grin? Do you know that you're best friend sometimes laughs at the jokes you make because it's the only way to stop from crying? A smile and a laugh can be true and real, obviously. It can serve as a sign of happiness. But it's a sign that we can easily use to deceive others. We would be naive to say otherwise. Don't you think?
Society says, "hide your differences and fear originality."
Anything that makes you, you, is the last thing you should ever sacrifice. We all have our differences, but our differences are the diamond of our being and push the world towards making great changes. Our differences bring us together. Don't hide your face, don't hide your talents, don't hide your dreams, don't hide your passions. Pursue them with your head held high. Do not fear the power of your mind, use it. Use it to change your life and your world.
Society says, "you are not human and you do not struggle."
Society says we should be ashamed of our struggles and downfalls, but it's the only thing we all have in common. We try to paint a perfect picture for strangers and act like we never get knocked down like everyone else. We put the good stuff on display and leave out anything that alters our perfect image- anything that makes us the imperfect humans that we are. We're human and naturally, we make mistakes because we need to learn and grow. We were never intended to be perfect or identical to one another. So I say we are human, and we do struggle. We should embrace the flaws of being human and display the truth, so that everyone stops trying to live up to unrealistic and impossible expectations.
Society says, "be yourself, just make sure you fit in."
Who ever said we should want to fit in? Why should we? Who said we think the cool kids are cool? Who made them "cool"? Statements like this are more powerful than they appear to be. They ask you to sacrifice your identity when there's only one of you in the entire universe. They tell you to hand over your individuality for a pair of shoes you don't even like. But know this- you don't have to be like everyone else. You don't have to like the same things as them or wear what they wear. Don't mold yourself into something you are not and do not want to be. Be yourself and never apologize for it. Don't hang around the in crowd if you don't want to, make your own.
Society says, "good grades make you smart."
Grad don't make you smart or stupid. I know plenty of kids that received terrible grades in high school and college that I know are intelligent. Intelligence is found in all different places (creativity, writing, art, etc.), not just in school or on tests and quizzes. F. Scott Fitzgerald left Princeton University because of bad grades, and you want to tell me he's not a literary genius? Jim Carey dropped out of high school at 16. Does that mean he's not talented? Abraham Lincoln left school at the age of 12 and he later on became President. "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will lives it's whole life believing that it is stupid."
Society says, "this is how you succeed."
Society seems to provide us with strict guidelines for the way we should live. It goes a little something like this: Graduate high school. Go to college and pick a major in a good field that will make you good money. Get an internship so that you can get a job. Graduate college. Get a job and pay off your student loans. Get married. Buy a house. Have kids. Live a normal life. But did you know that don't have to live your life the way they tell you to?
Society says, "follow your heart (but not like that)."
They want us to follow our hearts and chase our dreams relentlessly, yet present us with the idea that it's impossible and unlikely in today's world. They send us off to college like we have no choice, and tell us to pick a major based off of yearly income. Most of us don't grow up being told that we should find the thing we love and follow it and forget about the money. Instead, they ask us what we think is more important (money or happiness) after they made our world revolve around it. They hand us two platters and say, "pick one". But the truth is, you can have both. You can be happy and make money. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, was a college drop-out and Ellen DeGeneres dropped out of college after her first semester. There are plenty of other ways you can succeed if you work hard. Don't let society fool you, and don't allow those who follow the road most traveled by treat you like you are any less of a "success" than they are. Your idea of success isn't the same as everyone else's.
Society says, "this is what happiness looks like."
Kanye said it best, there is not "a 'one size fits all' standard for happiness". We all have our own version or idea of what happiness is, just like we do success. We find happiness in different places because we are different people, with different backgrounds, who have different needs, wants, interests, passions, and values. So while a 9-5 job may make some people extremely happy, that doesn't mean it will make you happy too. And it certainly doesn't mean that just because that's a common goal, that it has to be yours, too.
Society says, "other people define you."
No, they do not. You define you, and you decide who you let help shape the person you are. You determine your level of confidence, not your "friends", significant other, or anybody else. You choose what your passion, goals, and dreams are. You decide whether or not you can succeed at something. You determine your beauty, strength, and intelligence- nobody does that but you. You are defined only by your thoughts, mind, and actions. Not by the discouraging words or actions of others.
Society says, "follow our rules, but don't think about them."
And I say, hell-to-the-no. Your rules are screwed. But what about you, what do you think?
As you can see,society says a lot of things.
But don't buy everything they try to sell you and walk around unable to think for yourself. Question everything. Question the rules you thought were set in stone because they're not, we just don't challenge them enough. Build your own opinions.Do what you believe in and what you feel is right. Live your idea of a happy and successful life and accept your own idea of love. You don't have to live the life society asks you to live or mold yourself into something you're not. So gomake your own set of rules and break a few while you're at it.
Plus, you know what they say.. "if you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."
