False Idols

Here is a post that I've been meaning to write for a while. It has nothing to do with religion, so chill your charged opinions. I merely chose this name because it is a wonderfully convenient one.

No, what I'm talking about today is people. This is another "social science according to Eli" post. People. Specifically those we hold in high regard. The ones that seem so much better than us, we don't consider them people. This is something I'm very guilty of. There are a good number of people who I've done this to, and I still very much like these people. Even so, I've come to the opinion that this sort of behavior is unhealthy. The reason is twofold.

The first is on the behalf of our opinion of the person we are idolizing. I'm not talking celebrities here, I'm talking the ones on the local level. The genius in math. The incredible artist. The undefeated athlete. The very fact that we find them so amazing is what is wrong. Yes, they are very good at something. But they are also only human. The way we idolize people makes us forget that. By putting them on a pedestal, we alienate them. This is a bad thing. Treating somebody as more than they are is bad, and it affects more than just them. It affects us. By believing them to be somebody they're not, we miss the opportunity to learn who they are.

The other problem is perhaps even more self-detrimental. The same way we exaggerate the greatness of idols, we tear down ourselves. We see them as something we could never be, and feel mediocre in comparison to their greatness. Sometimes, this is inevitable. I'm not going to be the quarterback. But I don't care about that, because I don't man crush on football players. But I digress. Although it is inevitable that most of these people will remain better than you, that's not a good way to think. When we see these idols as who they are, it becomes significantly easier to reach their level of prowess. As a matter of fact, it is this manner of thought that I'm living by right now.

Moral: don't view other people as better than you. View them as a challenge.

Peace out, readers.