"Which is another way of saying no one is."
-The Incredibles
I remember the first time I saw The Incredibles, and I remember this quote more than any other part of the movie. As children, the love and attention we receive from our friends and family is unconditional, but what children are not taught is that they are not the most important person in the world. We live within the realm of our own lives, the confines of our own heads- and that's not selfish, it's just narrow. When I saw this movie, it was the first time I realized that I am not special, though my mother could drive you a hard argument as to why I'm wrong. It is, at once, something I fear and take comfort in. Not everyone can be extraordinary- not all of us can run a country. Not all of us can paint. Not all of us can write a book, and at that, write it well. There is the assumption that many of us will go on to write papers and teach classes and inspire masses, because we have special privileges- we are young, we are wealthy, we are bright. But you are not special.
You will not be the first person to have their heart bleed out in front of them; take comfort in this.
You will not be the first person to watch your parents creep surely towards death; take comfort in this.
You will not be the first person to get insulted, get caught, or get ridiculed; take comfort in this.
If we can take comfort in the fact that our experiences are not unique, that our lives are a repeat of lifetimes before us, that there is nothing we feel that hasn't been felt before, we can find comfort in each other. We can still wish to be special, but to be special is to be uncommon, singular. To be special is to stand alone, and who would wish for loneliness?
I absolutely loved reading this blog post. I was extremely impressed with how well you demonstrated this topic without sounding negative or pessimistic. Reading the quote at the beginning immediately dragged me in. I especially liked the part about taking comfort in the fact that our experiences are not unique. Personally, I have found myself taking a lot of comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one to feels the things I do. Overall, I really enjoyed this blog post.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Super insightful, intelligent, and even comforting.
DeleteI love this! Many people think that Disney is for kids. There are many messages and morals that are hidden in between the lines. That Kids may not understand, but as the grow in to adults, they soon will understand.
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautifully written. It shows that you've obviously lived through this saying in your lifetime and have taken these words to heart and truly meant what the mean. I love the section where you talk about harsh realities of everyones life in what they must face. I loved how you said, "take comfort in this." That is truly a perfect piece of advice to someone who is going through something like that, i.e., a death in the family. It is true that no one is special and I agree that we are taught that we are.
ReplyDeleteA quote that my Uncle loves to say is "You're unique and special... just like everybody else." I like this because we are all unique, none of us experience the same things, or if we do we don;t experience it the same way. I do agree though, that it is comforting to know that we are not the first to experience something.
ReplyDeleteA quote that my Uncle loves to say is "You're unique and special... just like everybody else." I like this because we are all unique, none of us experience the same things, or if we do we don;t experience it the same way. I do agree though, that it is comforting to know that we are not the first to experience something.
ReplyDeleteA quote that my Uncle loves to say is "You're unique and special... just like everybody else." I like this because we are all unique, none of us experience the same things, or if we do we don;t experience it the same way. I do agree though, that it is comforting to know that we are not the first to experience something.
ReplyDelete