There is a substantial basis about the idea that we become someone else that we were not in the beginning. Michel Foucault thoughtfully came up with a realization that inevitably applies to all people. Interestingly, he even considered it as the main interest in life. A very clever idea indeed.
Applying this in your life and work can make you climb the ladder with an assurance that no matter what happens, you become ‘that’ person life made you. Just as you were anticipating, becoming someone that you were not in the first place. You may fall from the ladder and be dropped to a familiar position, you will never become your previous self just as being placed in a rather unfamiliar position somewhere above your previous point in life. After all, you become the product of your own distinct journey.
However, just because you understand that eventually, you become ‘that’ person, should you consider it unnecessary to know what you really are as a person? Will it even make a difference if you knew what you are and become ‘that’ person anyway?
Perhaps it will. It could have prevented one problem of this generation.
One serious problem the world faces today is a mental health problem known as depression. It is not reasonable to link depression directly by the lack of self-awareness. This is a very complex and sophisticated mental health concern which is obviously caused by various factors. Depression happens to all people regardless of where they are or how they are in life. Simply knowing one’s self could not solve this mental complication but knowing one’s self could have prevented it.
Life is like a river.
It is so easy to stay afloat the river of life. The journey will be rough sometimes but you can manage to get through it all. However, when the river becomes a fall, only then you will not like what ‘that’ person will undergo. Does ‘that’ person have the capacity to survive? Does ‘that’ person knows if he can still live after the fall? In this case, knowing what you are would be an insurance for your life. If you know what you are and you believe that what you are is a person that can still stay afloat the river despite a harsh fall, then you just made a difference from those who think it is unnecessary to know what they really are as a person. This explains why even those people who are placed in a much more convenient setting still suffers depression. They become the person that they were not in the beginning. Michel was right, but not knowing who they are, made ‘that’ person’s life fragile regardless if ‘that’ person has a convenient life or otherwise. Fragile to the extent that what they become simply is a product of life’s ups and downs which is not strong enough to withstand life’s roughness.
Life is not a boring river.
It will have so many turns, cliffs and obstacles along the stream. It may be comforting that along the journey, you got to become someone that you were not when you first floated but what is important is the opportunity to become someone better or a cause to become someone who will play an important role. The river will teach you lessons and will guide you to the sea of your dreams. You just have to know yourself better to get there alive and happy.
It should be necessary to understand that it only takes your body to stay afloat in the river of life anticipating for a fall, but it takes self-awareness and self-understanding to swim through and get along with it.
Keep on working at it as a writer. You start well but then the piece drops off in quality. The river analogy is taken a bit too far.
Really cool analogy! Loved it!