Eleanor.

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I got a pretty inspiring quote from a friend today. It goes:

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Now, that's quite true. A little insensitive to the little details of the things, people and situations that make someone feel inferior, but sure, she might truly be on to something here.

The quote implies that everyone has (and can) control everything that goes on in their lives. That is of course, misleading. Human relationships and the human mind are both very complex and so intertwined that there is no way for anyone to be in full control of what or who makes them feel inferior.

Therefore, it is important to remember that these quotes are not to be followed religiously in all aspects all the time. Think of it as a reminder to be aware of the things you can control so you may control them, and to eliminate those things you are able to eliminate so that you are not made to feel inferior.

Eliminate.

What will you be eliminating?

Comments

  1. BabyPinkJuly 31, 2010 at 12:15 AM

    Osto, osto. Benar den i Babo a Eleanor. Ogaid na mas kiyababayaan aken a pamikiran ka on ai. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 31, 2010 at 1:18 AM

    I disagree, I don't think it's insensitive, but in fact quite accurate. The little details, situations, whatever are all trivial in the grand scheme of things.

    While we might not have full control over everything that goes on in our lives, we do have full control over our perceptions and more importantly our brains. We can choose to allow certain things to bother us or not to. The human mind is a powerful machine capable of analyzing it's environment and reacting to stimuli.

    Likewise we can also choose to simply ignore certain things and move on, that's what Eleanor Roosevelt meant. That most people don't control the way they feel about themselves, they believe it's some external force that causes this. It's not, every single one of us has the power to eliminate negative thoughts regardless of how the world around us is shaped.

    ReplyDelete
  3. nessreenJuly 31, 2010 at 1:24 AM

    Anonymous:
    I respect your opinion on this, and I'm sure you will have a great life of non-inferiority, and that there is nothing and no one that can touch you. Good luck! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. nessreenJuly 31, 2010 at 1:42 AM

    Also, your explanation sounds so much like a great excuse to absolve yourself from however you treat people. It's such a convenience to say "You know what, it's not my fault. I know I called you an inferior human being, but that doesn't make ME a bad person. That makes you an out-of-control emotional wreck."

    There is no excuse for social insensitivity. Everyone is responsible for what they say or do to people.

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownAugust 5, 2010 at 6:36 PM

    your twitter link's broken! or maybe you don't have one anymore?

    ReplyDelete
  6. nessreenAugust 5, 2010 at 8:54 PM

    Oops, sorry. It's back up again! Thanks for letting me know!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AliaAugust 22, 2010 at 5:55 PM

    What happens if you eliminate too much, both good and bad reviews, and you suddenly lose your voice, your passion, and no matter how many times you say "Ooops", you just can't have any of it back?

    I think - even the most awful reviews - can beneficial it gets deleted.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AliaAugust 22, 2010 at 5:56 PM

    "- can be beneficial *before* it gets *fucking* deleted."

    ReplyDelete
  9. nessreenAugust 23, 2010 at 8:22 AM

    Hning: Hmm. I didn't think of it like that. But then again, like I said, we don't have control over much, so we should just consider EVERYTHING beneficial. Just like we have always done. And then just hope that we re-emerge with only a few scratches.

    ReplyDelete

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