Making nothing of yourself, and abusive traditions

The traditions that we have inherited from older generations of our interpersonal relations — such as our judgments of the young, and implorations to “make something of themselves” — mean well, but carry with them a note of bitter judgment. The question that needs to be asked is, “Why?”

Why should you work to make yourself into something valuable? Valuable — to whom, and for what purpose?

It is good that you do things that are valuable to you, but you must beware of alienating yourself from yourself in pursuit of an ideology of achievement that seeks to grind you into nothingness in service to the Pyramid.

The difference there is the same as the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Whenever you listen to someone who implores you to do a thing — to “make something of yourself” — you should be wary. No one can tell you what you are interested in in particular. They can give you bland generalities such as that, which are not helpful except at cultivating a sense of unfulfillment.

The idea that we must do something productive with ourselves is a universal oppression. In my case, it has made me extraordinarily unhappy to have nothing to call as my reason for being.

We are all something — humans have within us enormous potential to do many things. We don’t need to “make something” else from ourselves — to transform ourselves from one thing to another, as if we had no value as we are. We don’t need to be encouraged to waste our time laboring for other people. Accolades from others have no value.

What we do need is to express ourselves, and to feel love from our fellows towards us, and to love them. To express ourselves authentically as we are — not as we would be. To connect with who we are, and cultivate the light that is within us.

That motivation of growth, however, is natural. It isn’t an external oppressive discipline that we apply to ourselves to make us unhappy until we have fulfilled the requirements that our “betters” demand.