Taking Yourself Less Seriously

[kuranes]

We need more of this. Here's a story about a mob of Xmas shoppers that forced itself into a store prior to the actual dinner bell ring.

Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down - USATODAY.com

 

[zago]

If you don't want to take your self seriously, do an exaggerated impression of yourself. When you are taking yourself very seriously, it will be easy to do. When you aren't taking yourself very seriously, you won't really know right away how to approach it.

 

[cherchair]

Reminds me of the old saying

When you're 18 you care what others think
When you're 40 you don't care any more
When you turn 60 you realize they weren't thinking about you anyway.

Hmmm...at 60, I still feel scrutinized, but this could just be my normal paranoia.

 

[SillySapienne]

Knowing one's self is some seriously serious business.

But knowing other people is pretty goddamn fun and fascinating, too, and anything that is both fun and fascinating should be taken quite seriously, if that makes sense..

 

[Cimarron]

Knowing one's self is some seriously serious business.

But knowing other people is pretty goddamn fun and fascinating...

Interesting...when put together with this:

I think learning to take yourself less seriously starts with realizing the absurdity of the larger world around you. It takes a bit of perspective, which is generally lacking when you take yourself too seriously.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I'm the type of person who would tell someone else to lighten up and not take themselves so seriously. I usually do this when something seems blown out of proportion. Generally it's when

a) Some failure or other unexpected event happens. Most of these things have small or temporary consequences and should be laughed at instead of cried over.

b) A person thinks about themself so much that either their life events are blown out of proportion or they ignore the more significant things that are happening to the people around them.

 

[miss fortune]

I don't take myself particularly seriously- why bother, if I'm all serious about things I won't enjoy my life half as much! Plus, stress is bad for you.

I don't particularly think that strangers take me seriously either.

 

[Jae Rae]

Yes.

Except, let's not care right now.

That's the cue not to care right now.

Few events matter as much as they seem to in the moment.

 

[LostInNerSpace]

Beating yourself up with negative self-talk, or maybe projecting your issues on to other people, which are often are created or reinforced with your own self-talk.

I can be guilty of that. I'm very hard on myself and often rate others with those standards. I'm usually able to take a step back and see things in perspective. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Taking a step back means to understand that people who have weaknesses where you have strengths often have strengths where you have weaknesses.

 

[pippi]

What is the secret to taking yourself less seriously? In other words, the message is too vague. It's difficult to figure out how you could implement that philosophy. If the cause of taking yourself too seriously is that you perceive something to be at stake, what is it? Does self-worth have anything to do with it? Does taking yourself less seriously mean you will necessarily take life less seriously and have more fun?

I think this is a desirable thing. I'm just fuzzy on how to do it.

Viewing things in a large perspective and relating to the "big picture" can help one take things less seriously.

Getting hung up over little things can seem quite absurd, then.

Perspective is key. Ask yourself if whatever you are doing will matter in 5 years.

There is nothing wrong with being serious, but the ability to laugh at yourself makes the bumps of life easier to take.

 

[GZA]

As FM and some others said, the world is just too bizarre to possibly take entirely seriously. Things seem to work in the opposite way you would expect, or even that would logically make any sense. Structures are as obtuse as they are constructed. And when the entire world is so much bigger than us... sometimes you just have to have a little fun, like a mouse running through the cracks in the wall.

 

[disregard]

What is the secret to taking yourself less seriously?

Anything I say won't be enough; you've got to try.

Anyone can be told that 2x2=4, but unless you understand why, you're just as dumb as the person that doesn't know.

The 4 in this situation is "Life is not an audition; life is an experience. You belong just as much as the next guy."

But the understanding can only come from your personal experience.

You tell us what the secret is when you find out. That which takes years to develop cannot be taught in one post.

 

[G-Virus]

I took myself seriously once, my parents took me to see a psychiatrist to make sure nothing was wrong. Never did it again.

If you really need some help, I recommend you watch the following video in its entirety.

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91rcbRgMgGE"]The landlord say your rent is late = he may have to litigate.[/YOUTUBE]

 

[LucrativeSid]

Mempy, what does it mean, to you, to take yourself too seriously? I'd like a personal example or two of when you think you're actually doing it.

 

[Athenian200]

Take myself less seriously? That's easier said than done. If anyone figures it out, let me know how.

I think that the answer probably lies in detaching one's sense of self-worth and contentment from various standards and conditions. The problem would be the details of finding a workable, healthy way of doing that on a consistent basis.

 

[Condor]

Interesting thoughts as I read throughout the post. I agree that there is absurdity aplenty throughout the world, but that fact is enough that I take myself even more seriously. Some of the posts I've read equate taking yourself seriously to more stress, and I don't see the connection; except for the fact that some care about how others perceive them and get stressed about that perception.

A few days ago I went to work on a "casual" day (no classes in session) at a different school and I made the unholy mistake of wearing a tie. I didn't wear it to get questioned - I wear a tie to work every day. It was amazing how many people asked why I was wearing it. "Doesn't he know it's casual day?" "Why is he wearing that tie?" One person was almost insistent that I take the tie off. And the question that was right on the heels of their observations was, "Why are you so serious?"

I replied "Why do you want me to be like you?"

It's almost laughable how much others try to project themselves onto someone else. I won't speculate as to why people do it (it's real easy to say their behavior is compensatory for something they lack, but that's glossing over a lot of unknowns), but it's amazing how many "professional" people do it. It's as if once they've attained their "status" then they can put their life in cruise control and rest on their ass waving their business card at you.

I think being taken seriously is a compliment, and I can't expect anyone else to do so if I don't do it myself.

 

[GZA]

I have a question. It's a serious question, too. It is not a joke, and it is not the lead-up to some smack-in-the-face-joke later on. It is fully intended to inspire your deepest and most profound introspection on the nature of your life, your environment, and your concept of self and it's relationship to the world at large.

Do you mow your lawn?

If yes, think about what that is, and rethink the idea of seriousness. If no, disregard this post.