However, the main sentence that has been sticking out like a sore thumb to me lately is; "If you compare yourselves to others, you will become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself"
Lets break this sentence down into sections:
1) "If you compare yourselves to others"
Already we are on dangerous ground. We know from endless scientific research, and also just from looking at people that no 2 people are the same! Yet ALL of us still look at someone else and compare ourselves.Comparing yourself to another can come under many categories: Firstly, "Are they better looking than I? Or do I not need to worry about competition here?" Secondly, "Do they have more money than me? Or are they poor?" Thirdly, "Are they really intelligent? Or, are they really stupid?" The list could go on and I'm sure you know what you are most likely to compare yourselves to another about.
2) "You may become vain and bitter"
In my opinion you WILL become vain and bitter, not just "may". If you are constantly looking at others and seeing what they have or havn't got its going to mess with your head, and none for the better - all for worse. Say you meet a girl in the street who is very overweight, has a face covered in acne, has to wear glasses and has greasy hair - already you are thinking "I am glad I look better than her" Right? This is being vain! Who say's that you are better than her? To somebody in the world she is beautiful. Becoming and being vain can also work the other way round. If you compare yourself to someone and think "They are so much better than me, I must try and become as good looking/intelligent as them" then you will spend a lot of time on your appearance and trying to be "perfect" and this too will damage your mind. I'm no stranger to being vain - I've spent a fortune on teeth whitening, hair cuts and make-up to cover my spots. Does it make me any happier? For a while, yes - but its short term.
Next, you see a girl in the street who has perfect skin, shiny hair that falls perfectly, a good figure, she's dressed well and has a smile that lights up a room - now you are thinking "I want to be like that" But, if you constantly look up to these "perfect" looking people you are going to become bitter, because NOBODY is perfect. Even those who look amazing 24/7 will have something wrong with them, it may not be noticeable but there will be something.
If you become bitter, this is not going to make you beautiful if beauty is what you are striving for. Its going to ruin you inside, and damage your heart and mind and that will eventually show through on the outside.
3) "For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself"
My mum always tells me this whenever I am throwing a strop about the way I look. She says to me, "Bethany, somebody out there looks at you and wishes they could look and be like you, and somebody out there will love every little thing about you - flaws and all"
And this is the same for all of you reading this!
We shouldn't take this last part of the sentence the wrong way however, as if we are walking around saying to ourselves that there are lesser persons than us, we will once again become vain. We need to remember that God made every single person and he love all of us equally, no matter what we look like and what our abilites are.
The closing part of the poem also really touches me...
"With all its shams, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy"
Instead of striving for beauty, why not strive for happiness? After all, happiness is one of the most beautiful things in this world.
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