February 13, 2008

Let Your Self Join the Human Race

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:42 am

So Many Self Words

Personal Identity logo

Self-consciousness, self-promotion, self-sacrifice, self-preservation, self-abuse, self-indulgence, self-importance, self-deprecation

It’s hard to see words that start with s-e-l-f, without wondering how they relate to me — this individual self.

Self-esteem, self-centered, self-awareness — once upon a time those words didn’t exists.

It seems that self-respect, self-confidence, and self-control are stronger personal traits when they become respect, confidence, and control.

I’m wondering about the ego that fuels these self-oriented words. The list is self-serving and self-involved in that it’s used to define us. But is it a good thing to separate ourselves like that?

Looking glass

We might believe we have one relationship with ourselves and a distinctly different one with others. I don’t buy that Look around. You can tell what someone needs by what he or she gives away.

How these “self” words throw us out of balance.

It’s harder to relate to people when we subconsciously see ourselves as separate from them. Imagine if we had no special “self” vocabulary — no “us” and “the rest of the world” words — simply words for all of us instead?

The words are stronger and more human without the “self.”
Conscious, promotion, sacrifice, preservation, abuse, indulgence, importance, deprecation, esteem, centered, awareness, respect, confidence, control, involved.

So I’ve decided. I’m dropping that “self” syllable. I’m becoming one of the whole. Are you ready to let your “self” join the human race?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Filed under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog |



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11 Comments to “Let Your Self Join the Human Race”

  1. February 13th, 2008 at 9:29 am
    Mike DeWitt said

    Here! Here! I’m with you on this one. Long ago I wrote a post called The Awesome Destructive Power of Them, talking about the trouble with labeling people as ‘them’. I think the more ‘us’ as one thinking in the world, the better!

    Mike

  2. February 13th, 2008 at 9:34 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Mike!
    Us is a nice word. Yeah.
    So is belonging.

  3. February 13th, 2008 at 9:35 am
    Mike DeWitt said

    Yes, belonging is good, too! ;-)

  4. February 13th, 2008 at 9:54 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Yeah, Mike,
    That’s why I decided it was time to belong. :)

  5. February 13th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
    Reach For The Stars said

    Great post! Thanks. I look forward to your future work.

  6. February 14th, 2008 at 6:26 am
    Alina Popescu said

    We have a very vast tradition of separating ourselves. For good or bad reasons. I know a saying stating you should share joys with others and keep sorrows to yourself, for example. It’s a lot of change we need to do to drop the self, but I think it is a great goal you’ve set for us humans :)

  7. February 14th, 2008 at 7:23 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Alina!
    It’s true that from the minute we’re born, we have to learn where we end and other people begin. That’s instinct, but we don’t have to stay so separate that we think of ourselves as the only one who is different. :)

  8. February 14th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
    FV Classic said

    as in “self” promotion?

  9. February 14th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi FV!
    Self promotion is up there. Yep. :)

  10. February 15th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
    On Writing and Getting Un-Stuck | Interesting Observations said

    [...] and inspirational words.  Today while I was browsing StumbleUpon, I came across her article Let Yourself Join the Human Race that describes so much of what I’ve been feeling [...]

  11. February 17th, 2008 at 9:38 am
    Sunday Reading 17 February 2008 said

    [...] Words mean things. Liz Strauss helps us understands what we mean when we tack self onto the beginnings of words in Let Your Self Join the Human Race. [...]

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