THURSDAY, 17 JUNE 2004
Some people end up as caricatures of the information they receive from the environment about what they should be and how they should act. These puzzle caricatures are seemingly unaware of how clearly the seams show between the sometimes hackneyed parts from which their socially functioning personas are compiled.
How about myself? I am aware of the puzzle pieces from which my own socially functioning persona has been compiled. I also know that I can choose to reject many of these bits of information about myself at any time (or if I don’t want to be that extreme, to at least make some changes).
If I speak and write in Language A, it is not because I believe Language A is a better communication medium than Language B, it is because I am more comfortable with it because of my background, and as a result of a lifetime of exposure that has left me more apt to express myself in this particular language. My preference for Language A is a choice for the sake of efficiency, with sentiment – a common attitude when it comes to the language with which you grew up – of secondary importance.
Are not all of us in the end to a significant degree puzzle caricatures for as long as it remains effective? If we replace one set of puzzle pieces in a more self-critical phase of our lives with a set that fits more comfortably or with one that looks better, we may not be caricatures anymore, but are we not still made up of pieces cut and shaped by those who came before us?
______________________