Ya know how culture is always telling us not to be self-conscious or ashamed?
“Be bold and confident!
Don’t be ashamed of how you look or act!
You be you!
Even if that means ya wanna swap in different genitalia!”
You know what they are actually telling you?
“Be an idiot!”
…That’s what they are saying
No, I’m not calling you an idiot
Lemme explain this to you
Do you know the definition of what it means to be “self-conscious”?
To be self-conscious is to be conscious of yourself!
I know!
Shocker!
When I re-worded the term “self-conscious,” did it mean something a little different to you?
Suddenly it’s not about the horrors you saw in the mirror this morning!
Now it’s more about conducting yourself in a sociably acceptable manner
Ya?
Being self-conscious has come to have a bad connotation, because everyone takes it to unhealthy extremes
But being conscious of yourself simply means you are aware of the surrounding atmosphere and doing the best you can to respect and conform to it
Unless all the people around you are trying to kill each other
Then don’t
Murderous atmospheres are not conducive to long lives and fluffy feelings
If you are continually exposed to those atmospheres
I recommend playing lots of hide-and-seek
Or just hiding on a regular basis
The Wise Ry Guy 