Thursday, June 2, 2011

Keeping It Real

I've read a few articles recently about Facebook depression, a new condition that is affecting many people, mostly teens. Basically, people are looking at other's on Facebook, and seeing all the awesome things that everyone else is doing, feeling that they are not measuring up, and then getting depressed about it. The problem is, people usually post only positive things that are happening. No one posts a picture of the week long flu they had or how they sit at home on weeknights wishing they had someone to talk to (of course, there are people who do that, but they usually make me feel uncomfortable and I de-friend them) or how they feel trapped by the ever mounting pile of laundry.

I also think that's easy to do with blogs. I read approximately 1,437,821 blogs every day, and usually people post great things that happen to them, pictures of their adorable house/child/cupcake/outfits. Which is the point of a blog, really, to share awesomeness. But it's so easy to compare the best of someone else's life (and probably photo-shopped pictures!) with the worst (un-photo-shopped picture) of your own, you know??

Not that I would advocate looking for the bad in anyone, but it is important to remember that no one is perfect, and that everyone has something that they would like to change. So really, the best policy is to not compare yourself at all, to find the best in everyone, including yourself, and take what you can from everyone. Don't forget to count your blessings!!

(Thanks to Abby from My Yellow Sandbox for this reminder. Also, an awesome place to get hair tutorials!!)

2 comments:

Woolverton Girl said...

It's hard not to compare yourself with others. But you are right, we all need to find the good in ourselves as well as others. Some people really need to be reminded of this more often.

BTW, I loved visiting with you & steve this past weekend!

Jolene said...

You just reminded me of something a wise visiting teacher told me once when we were talking about comparing and feeling inferior. She said that we judge ourselves by our back room or our messiest room and we judge others by their front room or the one that they keep perfect for their visiting teachers to see. It is easy to only see the best in others and the worst in ourselves.