Hey blades, I'm about to write an essay about identity, and i'm getting my creative juices flowing. So, here it is. Have you ever had to leave behind things/people/a piece of yourself that you loved in order to advance as a person in the direction you're striving for? Also, have you ever felt ashamed of something, and then felt ashamed for feeling ashamed? (like being ashamed of your parents,heritage, accent, name ect.)
I've split away from so many friends in the past whether it was because of arguements, seperations, or just the fact that we stopped liking each other. I've never purposely tried to seperate from my friends in the past but on a few of those occasions, I wasn't the nicest of friends. The people I've hurt have forgiven me but we're not as close as we were and I'm still quite ashamed of my actions. I regret what I've done but in a way, I like the person I am today and I always wonder if I would be the same now if all of that had never happened. I'm not sure if I would have met some of the great people I know today, or if my old friends would be so accepting of my lifestyle or personality today. So yes, I've left behind a lot and in bad ways but I think it's taught me a lot and possibly created the person I am today.
Thank you, you actually helped me a lot. Your last sentence is a perspective i never would have seen. I'd +rep you but it wont let me, so ill to it tomorow or something
I've sometimes felt ashamed of my habits (NOT SMOKING, more along the lines of excessive video games, antisociality, etc.) and I've changed for the better. I'm glad I changed, as my life is better now and my personality and identity are more well rounded now. Sometimes change is for the better. Self improvement is not a bad thing.
I know what you mean. I often feel ashamed that I try to change who I am to either make more friends or 'fit in' but in the end, I'm only trying to meet new people and connect with others. As long as I don't change my fundamental moral values for vanity's sake, I feel that change is not necessarily a bad thing. I try not to feel ashamed, but sometimes it's subconscious and I definitely DO feel ashamed for having this subconscious shame, however slight it may be.
Excessive video games is something I highly regret as well. I sat and got fat while the world passed me by as a child. I could have started surfing, skateboarding, smoking so much earlier in life if it hadn't of been for those long hours spent on the couch with Nintendo and Xbox.
I feel just the same way. I still play more video games than most people, but it's much less obsessive and more for the enjoyment of a few pick up games with some friends. A couple years ago I would spend all my free time on one game or another, and I now have nothing to show for it. While I don't regret it tbh, I think my life could be a lot different, and possibly better if I had spent that time elsewhere. But I honestly had too much spare time back then, so if I hadn't spent it on the computer, it'd probably have been spent on the couch watching tv or doing something else wasteful and monotonous.
When I went to college, I had to become a different person. To advance myself, I had to become completely independent, make my own decisions and take chances. Occasionally I feel ashamed of being related to some family, but you have to remember to take the good with the bad and see the best in people. Life has two purposes: To be happy and to make others happy. Feeling ashamed accomplishes nothing.