Surface
Do you know the people around you?
There is a lot more than what meets the eye. There is a lot more than the surface level friendships we have. I have.
I think often I get caught up in those surface relationships. It feels good to be sort-of liked by many people. Often I think I feed off that. But quite honestly it is completely self-centered and shallow.
Let me explain. Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the organizations I'm involved with. I know a lot of people in CRU. Guys and Girls. I see them frequently - say hello and hi, and make jokes... but I don't know most of them. I mean I 'know' them. But I dont KNOW them.
What happens, in my case, is I get caught up and focused on the attention I get from the many. I think a lot of people percieve me in some way, so I think I often feel I have to live up to that or act in a certain way. Often unconciously I think. I know this might sound like a personal journal, but it's intended for hopefully some others to identify with.
Surface, shallow relationships. I have enough of those. I don't want it to be about me anymore. I want it to be about you. I don't want it to be about the 150 people in CRU, I want to get to know a few of you better. Then maybe get to know a few more better. Then a few more.
Don't spread yourself thin, as I try not to oversell myself. All it is is self-glorification. It is image. That is what the Pharisees acted like. Great on the surface, but dead inside.
And that is how I have felt.. in so many words. I don't like to think of myself as a Pharisee, but I can identify with acting like something on the outside, that is not at all truly representing what is on the inside. Which is often a lot of hurt, amoungst a lot of happiness, amoungst many other things. But it is a lot more than what is on the surface. And I encourage everyone to look past that - in others and in yourself as I try to.
There is a lot more than what meets the eye. There is a lot more than the surface level friendships we have. I have.
I think often I get caught up in those surface relationships. It feels good to be sort-of liked by many people. Often I think I feed off that. But quite honestly it is completely self-centered and shallow.
Let me explain. Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the organizations I'm involved with. I know a lot of people in CRU. Guys and Girls. I see them frequently - say hello and hi, and make jokes... but I don't know most of them. I mean I 'know' them. But I dont KNOW them.
What happens, in my case, is I get caught up and focused on the attention I get from the many. I think a lot of people percieve me in some way, so I think I often feel I have to live up to that or act in a certain way. Often unconciously I think. I know this might sound like a personal journal, but it's intended for hopefully some others to identify with.
Surface, shallow relationships. I have enough of those. I don't want it to be about me anymore. I want it to be about you. I don't want it to be about the 150 people in CRU, I want to get to know a few of you better. Then maybe get to know a few more better. Then a few more.
Don't spread yourself thin, as I try not to oversell myself. All it is is self-glorification. It is image. That is what the Pharisees acted like. Great on the surface, but dead inside.
And that is how I have felt.. in so many words. I don't like to think of myself as a Pharisee, but I can identify with acting like something on the outside, that is not at all truly representing what is on the inside. Which is often a lot of hurt, amoungst a lot of happiness, amoungst many other things. But it is a lot more than what is on the surface. And I encourage everyone to look past that - in others and in yourself as I try to.
Welcome to my general philosophy on this subject.:) It's definitely a good thing to hear you say. It's frustrating because I have sometimes wanted to really get to know people, but those people are too busy trying to be liked in a more superficial way by more people. It bothers me but I have been able to find people who care more about individual relashonships than their relashonships with a big mass of people. Right on man.
Posted by
Jordan_Ryan_Stewart |
9:54 AM
Listen man, CRU might at times be a huge social love parade, but I would never be in a different one. People are the best! The best! Well, dammit, I do understand what you're saying, and that's all of life really. You gotta get beneath the surface, stir things up, blah blah blah. ALl I know is you simply MUST keep living up to your model status! If this stops, I'll be sad.
Schoos,
Michael
Posted by
MW Rice |
3:59 AM
Jessie and I were discussing this topic just now, it's really sad that we all want community but can't have it. I've lost the closeness I used to have with friends like I had in high school and it's been disappointing recently. I'm not good with superficial relationships, they're more emotionally draining than real ones.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:26 PM