Why life is about creating yourself instead of finding yourself

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Kevin Mangelschots

  • We’re born imperfect

    The biggest reason why life is about creating ourselves is because we’re born imperfectly. We have to develop ourselves to get better, to live a more fulfilling life, and to become more virtuous.

    That’s why saying the sentence, “you’re perfect just the way you are” typically starting from a young age is such a foolish, and untrue thing to say. Much better would be, “you’re doing a fine job, but you could be even better.” That indicates that they’re on the right path, but that they can be much better if they truly apply themselves.

  • Not all our value is predetermined by birth

    Life isn’t about finding ourselves since while it is true that our genes matter, and that certain roles are more or less determined by our sex and age, that’s not all there’s to it. It’s much more complex than that.

    We can become more skilled, learn new things, and take on many critical difficulties that need to be solved or improved. All activities that bring value, and meaning to our existence, and to that of society as a whole.

  • Life is difficult, and we have to develop ourselves

    Image of a woman climbing a mountain.

    Life is extremely complicated, far too complex to know it all. We have to actively create ourselves before we can actually thrive. And improving ourselves is a tough, and long-winded process, no matter how talented and hardworking you might be.

    Still, it’s worth it. In the end, this continuous self-improvement is a large part of what makes life worth living. Simply giving in to our hedonistic desires might sound like an attractive alternative way of living, but it would become dull very quickly. Because satisfying all our senses would become so common that it would probably lose all its values compared to doing so sporadically.

  • We have to learn many lessons

    We need many teachings and life lessons from those around us, and the universe itself before we can grow up to be decent, well put together individuals. While we typically try to avoid pain and uncomfortable situations such as making errors or engaging in novel circumstances, they’re vital to stimulate growth.

    Our faults incentivize us to develop because we want to avoid the usually negative associated sensations such as anxiousness and uncomfortableness. So while we dislike fear, it has a very important function in our existence because it stimulates us to become a better person.

  • Failure and mistakes are required to get better

    The sentence, “own your error” written with scrabble blocks.

    Like previously addressed, being courageous enough to try novel things means we’re bound to make mistakes eventually, and that we’re going to fail along the road. Nevertheless, that’s actually a blessing in disguise, since that’s required if we wish to grow.

    Sure, it’s typically not a fun experience to make errors, and even less enjoyable to admit making these faults to ourselves and others, but it’s effectively what will separate the great from the average individuals.

    You must be daring enough to walk your own path if you wish to create the best possible version of yourself. And that means walking there where no one has ever wandered before you. Because everyone is different, which inherently means that there’s not one path that’s best for everyone out there to take.

 

What does, “life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself” mean?

The quote, “life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” written on a notebook.

Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself means that we can’t simply find our perfect version, since we’re inherently born with imperfections. We don’t have a preexisting identity that we’re bound to, since we can actively develop our character, abilities, and our purpose by improving ourselves.

It’s about discovering what we’re able to do when we apply ourselves totally by learning from the difficult situations, mistakes we make, and our personal failures. By continuing to evolve as human beings. That’s how we can eventually create the version of ourselves that we set out to be from the very beginning.

Life is about creating yourself meaning in Hindi

जिंदगी से तात्पर्य अपने आप को बनाना होता है

Jindagee se taatpary apane aap ko banaana hota hai

 

Life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself origin

Black white image of George Bernard Shaw.

George Bernard Shaw famously said the well-known quote, “life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.”

Who is George Bernard Shaw?

He was an Irish political activist, playwright, writer, and critic.

What he meant was that you have to create your personality, skills, and your role in society. You aren’t necessarily born with a preceding identity, nor that you’re already good enough from birth and that you shouldn’t develop yourself in the process of living your life.

 

Conclusion

You should continuously strive to evolve your character and skill set by trying new things, making mistakes, and due to failing along the way.

While some might laugh at you for fumbling, that’s just a Pyrrhic victory. Because in the end, it’s what allows you to create your personal identity instead of having to rely on others to determine your role in society, or remaining stuck in place.