I wonder how seriously you need to take yourself. Perhaps that's an odd question- particularly since I'm not talking about just myself, per se.
My friend and I are having a bit of an argument about this. He thinks I don't respect myself, I think he needs to relax. I've also been lurking on Deleterius, and looking at way too many characters that the author takes too seriously- or not seriously enough.
Thing is, I've been at both extremes. Five years ago, I was class clown. I didn't respect myself, and I don't like to think about the stupid things I did and said then. I acheived nothing; I was worthless. Two and a half years and a couple of interesting episodes in my life, and I went to the opposite extreme. Everything I did was TEH PROFOUND. Guess what? I was very nearly as useless. I couldn't laugh at myself, and I said the very silliest melodrama with deathly grimness. Just as with the silly era, I hate to read anything I wrote then, or remember what I said or did.
Of course, writing something like this gets into both silly and overserious. I'm blogging philosophy! But still; how seriously do you have to take yourself before you cross over into being pretentious? How silly or laidback can you get before you are a clown or a doormat?
I think it's a matter of personal style. Some people can joke, but still convey and experience a wide range of life; others can say deep, profound things and not come off as melodramatic, and enjoy their life.
I still air on the side of joking, for now- I've been wrong and badly wrong before. Still, I worry sometimes, in my stories- if I may abuse my characters, or others', and turn them into stupid parodies.
/ overserious ramble
My friend and I are having a bit of an argument about this. He thinks I don't respect myself, I think he needs to relax. I've also been lurking on Deleterius, and looking at way too many characters that the author takes too seriously- or not seriously enough.
Thing is, I've been at both extremes. Five years ago, I was class clown. I didn't respect myself, and I don't like to think about the stupid things I did and said then. I acheived nothing; I was worthless. Two and a half years and a couple of interesting episodes in my life, and I went to the opposite extreme. Everything I did was TEH PROFOUND. Guess what? I was very nearly as useless. I couldn't laugh at myself, and I said the very silliest melodrama with deathly grimness. Just as with the silly era, I hate to read anything I wrote then, or remember what I said or did.
Of course, writing something like this gets into both silly and overserious. I'm blogging philosophy! But still; how seriously do you have to take yourself before you cross over into being pretentious? How silly or laidback can you get before you are a clown or a doormat?
I think it's a matter of personal style. Some people can joke, but still convey and experience a wide range of life; others can say deep, profound things and not come off as melodramatic, and enjoy their life.
I still air on the side of joking, for now- I've been wrong and badly wrong before. Still, I worry sometimes, in my stories- if I may abuse my characters, or others', and turn them into stupid parodies.
/ overserious ramble
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