Tuesday 10 December 2013

Character vs. Reality

In recent years, I've been seen as a bit of an opinionated bastard by some and as "nice" and "smart" by others. This is due to the feeling that I need to play different characters in differing situations. I like to think that this "nice smart" character reflects more of the real me than the "opinionated bastard". However, my fear in this respect stems from the fact that people generally taking advantage of people that they consider to be nice, especially if that person has something they want. This is due to nice people often being considered weak or feeble. And on a personal note, this is something I've experienced way too much off in recent years.

          This experience has fuelled internal doubts and insecurities vastly different from those I had when I was younger. It has made me question the person I want to be. Simply speaking, who am I, the opinionated bastard or the nice guy people take advantage of.  Furthermore, I'm not sure I necessarily feel comfortable with the idea of playing different characters, but with the harsh reality of the world we live in, I don't always have much choice. However, I don't have the strength or desire to play the part of the opinionated bastard on a constant basis. Not only that, but I don't want the nice character to be killed off by life experience, so I guess the act of rotating characters will continue. One alternative could be to try and merge this two conflicting characters, being nice when I can and a bastard when I have to. This will be hard and may take months or even years to perfect, but we'll have to see.

          Self-reflect, self-question and self-discovery are all things that help us develop and evolve as people and is something I will continue to look and strive for in the years to come. Perhaps this question of characters vs. reality is simply a part of that reflection

Jason Cates