The World's Acceptance of "Yourself"

     During class today, I read the picture book Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees. I noticed how at the animal dance, Gerald's emotions were constantly controlled by what his community thought of him dancing.

     Everyone had no problem telling Gerald that he can't dance. They don't consider that Gerald wants to dance the way he wants and be the way he is, undisturbed. Gerald felt depressed when people told him that Giraffes can't dance. This shows how much we are affected by what other people say. Gerald didn't ask for their opinion. People wanted to stop Gerald from being himself, rather than just letting Gerald dance in the way he wanted.

     I think this shows how we feel like we need to have an opinion on everything and everyone. And when our opinion of someone isn't good, we make them stop being comfortable doing what they're doing and being themselves. When Gerald was dancing, he was himself, and he danced how he wanted to ance. But by he other animals saying that he couldn't dance, it made him feel like being himself wasn't good enough.

     Everyone tells you to "be yourself," even if you're different. But it's these judgements that always get in the way. If people tell others to be themselves, then why do they make others feel that they can't be who they are. Why can't those people leave others, like Gerald, doing what he wants, be? Why can't people live in a world where it's easier to be yourself without people telling you that your personality is "wrong?" Why do we have to make the people who are okay with themselves feel like they can't do what they want and get it right? People need to stop judging those who are happy with themselves and start realizing that you shouldn't take away a person's confidence. We say "be yourself," but a lot of people who say that aren't happy with what people are as themselves.