The Hardest Thing I've Done

The hardest thing I've ever done is convinced myself that I have a sliver of talent. Now, you may ask: Why? I mean, you can totally draw cool cartoons, do amazing guitar solos, write well, build robots, and kick ass with your super karate powers. Well, the thing is ... I think Internet socializing has something to do with exacerbating self doubt.

Let's face it, bragging about yourself online is the easiest way to get a massive amount of hate. Now, I've been on "the naked lady machine" since the late 90s, so, it's safe to say Internet forum life had greatly impacted my teens and early 20s mindset / development. And it really was great for learning how to take criticism, and the various communities helped me cultivate my skills. But unfortunately, it comes with the hefty price tag of one's humanity.

Now, it's still true that I hate most aspects of contemporary culture. And while I don't think it's wrong that someone nerd rages on a block buster movie based on weak writing, bad acting, and big budget special effects, sometimes you have to take a step back just to see how much time you spend thinking about the things you hate. And this is the crux of Internet culture.

You might be asking yourself how this ties in with self doubt. Well, when you're being a hyper critical, insensitive douche with everything, you will wind up doing that to yourself. Ya see, talking online is sort of refreshing in that direct way. And you can say whatever you want, practically, without any consequences. But it's only a matter of time when that voice becomes directed towards you. I think the typical mantra is something like: Nobody is special; you're not special; you're just like everyone else. Sounds pretty humble, right?

Wrong. Humility is about treating people with respect and trying to make them feel good with you. This E-mentality would only be good for your mental health if you lived under a dictatorship. Imagine all your heroes. Now imagine them repeating this crap since birth.

My conclusion: Be a little arrogant, eccentric, and delusional about yourself. But just remember to treat people around you like human beings. If you find yourself mostly thinking and talking about the things you hate, stop! I don't like Nickelback either, but the last thing I'm going to do is listen to them on YouTube so I can leave a nasty comment — in the hopes of offending their fans. I think you'll find that your mood and life will improve dramatically.