Roles

What is a role? A position you fill? Is it one you are forced to fill? Or is it a position that you wish you didn't have? Here, I am not talking about any specific roles, like your role in your job, or your house, I am talking about all the people you are in your life. Are you a mother or a father? What about a daughter or son? A teacher or student? A manager or a worker? What about a child or an adult? An athlete? These are all roles that people play and they play a significant part in limiting our way of thinking. 

We all play a role, and what I am going to ask you to do right now is think about all the ones you play. Think about how they make you behave, and how they make you feel. Do you feel happy in these roles? Sad? Stressed? Stuck? If you feel any of those things you have become the person in that role; you now identify yourself with that role and it is difficult to see yourself out of the role. Now why is that? It is difficult to see yourself as someone out of a role one you have identified with a role, because society has set certain expectations with your role. We feel as though we must meet these expectations in our roles to be accepted as apart of society. However, doesn't that just sound like these expectations are a tool of control? 

Yes, it does. Once we play a role, we have become part of society, therefore under control by society. This fact makes us easier to be near because people know that we will act accordingly to our role. If you are someone who fights with their roles in society or the rules that bind you to a role, then you are possibly frightening to others because your behaviors can not be predicted by your role. This results in fewer relationships and a struggle with society. Then, discontentment. Nevertheless, this can be averted by a belief in yourself and a willingness to live your life just as it is. 

Now how does this all happen? We become our roles at a very young age when we are learning how important rules are. And yes, rules are important, but we also learn that we must follow the rules of our roles. We then practice this through the ages until we can no longer distinguish which is the role thinking and which is us thinking. Try to forget what the expectations are of a role and then you will be allowed to think for yourself. The best example of a person who does this is Fox Mulder, a FBI agent in the X Files. For all of those people who have watched the X Files, you understand what I am saying. Mulder did not act in the way anyone would expect an agent would, this allowed him to think "outside- of- the- box" and solve cases others wouldn't have been able to. 


Although a loss in relationships may seem scary and unfavorable, can you say that you would rather live always abiding by the rules of your roles without question, a pawn of society? Or does a life of question and liberation, but a possible disconnect from society seem better for you? Just remember what Mark Twain said, "Be good and you will be lonesome", which can mean whatever you want it to mean, but to me it means to always do your right even if that means fewer relationships and a smaller audience. However, a person's decision to do their "right" should involve thinking about others, what the consequences of their decision may be, and an overall value of life. Forgetting any of those things produces criminals. Doing by your right, will give you a contentment in your life without the admission into a society that expects you to act a certain way.