Finding One´s Self, Though Society´s Values Want to Shape Us

One’s everyday life is all too often a drab and boring one, simply following a schedule as one has always done. In these circumstances, it is all too easy to simply go with the flow and become self- centered, losing sight of oneself in the process. However, it is important that one stops and finds oneself and throw off society’s values, what David Foster Wallace calls â€Å"the default setting†. Joseph Campbell, a former mythologist, writer, and lecturer, talked a lot about finding oneself. In an interview titled â€Å"The Power of Myth†, Campbell explains that the inability to find oneself is â€Å"the threat to our lives†¦ Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system for the attainment of human purposes.† If one is unable to find oneself, one becomes nothing more than a product of the system and loses their individuality. And the only way to beat the system is to find oneself by throwing off the values of the system and finding our own. When one has done this, one is able to find oneself and begin to change the world, a change only possible once one has changed oneself first. Another author, Tom Robbins, also discusses the importance of breaking with the values of society in order to find oneself. In his essay â€Å"In Defiance of Gravity†, Robbins writes about what is called â€Å"Crazy Wisdom,† which is wisdom that â€Å"deliberately swims against the current in order to avoid being swept along in itsShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Social Media On Female Body Image1717 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle with their own self image: â€Å"Yes, they’re also victims of the media. 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