My Opinion is the Only One That Matters

Call me selfish, egotistical and self-centered. My opinion is the only one that matters. Life is all about looking out for number one, yourself. One of the absolute worst things you can do with yourself is set out to be everybody’s friend. A friend of mine said the other day “if you aren’t pissing people off, you aren’t doing anything right.” Another honest joke. If you feel strongly about anything, and I hope you do, there will be opponents to your views.

Time to get back on track. If you go out trying to be everyone’s friends, you are destined to lose yourself. It is impossible to please everyone and remain an independent person. To find your own place in this world, you have to go out on a limb or two. To further out you go, the more you get noticed. The more you get noticed in social circles, as well as in the professional world.

I learned this lesson towards the end of high school. My senior year, I began reading Tucker Max’s stories. I was very narrow-minded and didn’t read his stories for much more than a quick laugh. After reading the now deceased message board associated with Max’s stories I learned much more than fart jokes and adult humor. His stories were about his uncut, brutal honesty with everyone he spoke to. He would call people how he saw them. Out of some miracle, he never got his ass beaten too hard. I hope to have the same luck, but that comes with the territory of open, brutal honesty. If you have something that you want to say, some opinion that you don’t know how it will be received, say it. To hold your tongue is to deny your own identity.

This by no means is saying to be a narcissist. Be compassionate, be caring, and be philanthropic. Or if that isn’t who you are, don’t be any of those things. The important concept to grasp is that you should strive to be independent. From the media to the predispositions of social group dynamics, there is pressure to conform to these ways. Remember that you are your own person, with your own views, and if you have something to say, let it fly.