“For all of these many years, without knowing it himself, he had tried hard and longed to be a man like those many, like those children, and in all this, his life had been much more miserable and poorer than theirs, and their goals were not his, nor their worries”
Siddhartha Chapter 7
Throughout the span of a lifetime, a person will find themselves swaying to the influence of many. It is only natural that a person conforms to what they see, what they hear, what they’re told, and what they believe they know. It is utterly impossible for a person to live throughout their life without any outside influence; any external guidance. But there are times when living in such a way is simply not right. Living another man’s dream, along the ways of the masses, cannot truly make oneself happy and instead, miserable.
From the moment a baby enters into the world, they are immediately cared for and faced by the people around them. Before they’re even able to think for themselves, they’ve begun to become influenced by the actions of those around them. Whether it be their parents, their caretakers, their teachers as they grow up, or the friends- they will become like those surrounding them. And while this is not inherently terrible, as being alike to those around oneself can bring a person comfort, it must be remembered that everyone is their own person.
No human being is the same, for we are who we are because of our own unique experiences. No person has lived and walked the same road as another to the tee, everyone has made their own choices, and changed their own life accordingly to such actions. The dreams, goals, and worries of the people, are not always the same goals, dreams, and worries of oneself. When a person finds themself living their life in a way that is not true to themselves, they will only find themselves living not happily, but with discontent.
Along the journey which is a lifetime, a person will come and meet many. And for a time, a person will begin to live alike to those they meet. But, no matter what, they need to remember who they are deep down.
If you are not yourself, then who are you? Let it be remembered that your path is yours, not someone else’s. Don’t lose your way.
Quaranteen 
Wow, this blog hit the spot for me. You have definitely nailed this idea of the environment and the people around you that influence your every move. It’s all very true as well. No person has experienced the exact same path as someone else, and each person uses their sources differently anyway. I have yet to recognize my personal dream/goals, but I truly hope I can trust myself deep inside. Only I know myself the most and with each step I manage to take, I’ll try not to lose my way!
P.S. what really caught my attention was the art for the featured image and it turns out I’ve actually liked several of the artist’s posts on Instagram before! What a great choice, author.
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This blog really hits deep with me. The way you tied in the quote from Siddartha was perfect. I always thought I should always be like a certain person to get more friends but that shouldn’t be the case. Even if this certain person is a nice guy, he isn’t me and I am not him. I have come to realize as I grow older I shouldn’t be following another man’s path for which that path isn’t my own. I also agree with you saying not to live another man’s life because it will give you discontent.
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I really liked your post @hillasaurus! I loved the artwork. This definitely resonated with me and made me realize that at times I haven’t been living for myself but for someone else. It definitely made me question what I was doing for myself. When I read, “…everyone is their own person. ” I remember the times when I had tried so hard to be someone else and wasn’t staying true to myself. I thank you for helping me put everything into perspective.
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