No Hay Maestro Como Carne Propia

Alot of us like saying the phrase "Take me as I am", and are empowered by it. And I cannot resist the temptation of asking: But who is "I" [sic]? What exactly do we refer to when we say "I"? Or what characteristics of ourselves do we refer to when we ask people to accept us for what we are?

Granted that the same people who like the cliche would have no problem enumerating their personal pro’s and con’s which they want people to accept, I still feel that something somewhere might be wrong with that line of thinking. The main issue with it is that in effect, it creates an "esssence" of one’s self and there by limiting that self. For example, if by "taking you as you are" we mean accepting you for being goodlooking but stupid, or vice versa, do we not then define and limit ourselves to definition? Are we then conceding that we will forever be proverbial "dumb blondes"? Or are we then encouraging complaceny and hindering self improvement?

Of course in the end, this is probably a false dilemma. Maybe we just like saying it whenever we feel bad about our shortcomings and flaws. I guess the key then is to ask people to accept not everything that you are right now, but just the fact that everyone is a perpetual work in progress. To make reference to an overused joke, just because no one’s perfect, doesn’t mean you don’t keep on practicing.

And lest we think that this is too masochistic a mantra to follow, it is precisely because we love ourselves and more importantly, others, that we then constantly want to become better human beings. Contentment and satisfaction should NOT be equal to stagnation.