Hey there,
Marketing. A term we hear mostly in business. Definition: 'the action of promoting and selling products or services'. They even have big marketing departments in businesses to deal with the image of the product. Image. That's all it is, really it's deception, these firms set out to fool us and they do. We give them our money for what? Overpriced products made in cheap, dirty factories with underpaid staff in China. Let's take a drink for example, Red Bull the most famous energy drink in the world, what is it? It's basically 'water and syrup', sugar, more sugar and caffeine probably. Really, it taste like urine, not that I've ever tasted urine...Tonnes of people still drink it though-5.378 billion cans sold in 2013 to be exact-why? The answer is obvious...because it gives you wings. Something so simple but so very smart, an image that made a urine tasting energy drink worth billions. We don't drink it because it tastes good, we drink it to be 'cool', to try experience what the phrase 'gives you wings' feels like, we drink it because we like the idea of it.
We follow trends to fit in, wasting money on useless things to improve our own image. Marketing. That's right, some people don't even realize that we do these things to market ourselves to others. To show people how awesome we are or how trendy or how rich. To show off our assets and personal traits. Why? Evolution that's why, humans: the most evolved animals on earth. In biology we learn about natural selection and Darwin finches blah blah blah. Natural selection is all about the way we adapt so we can survive and breed to pass on characteristics to succeeding generations. Survival of the fittest. Well my theory is the same for humans not only in physical environments but social environments too. We no longer need to make fire and hunt, those cave man days are over. We are smart now: building houses, inventing technology and machinery so they can be the slaves of our new generation, discovering new knowledge everyday, curing diseases
Everyone is the same, trying to live and fit into our messed up society, where there are millions of expectations to live up to. Girls who want to be stick thin because that's the image that has been drilled into their heads as soon as they look at any magazine cover, teenagers doing drugs, smoking and drinking because it's 'cool', where social interaction is rare because we are too busy typing on our phones, where people posts selfies so they can get compliments for looking like a very very very serious duck, guys who have no respect for girls-what happened to all the gentlemen who held doors for women-where commercials and marketing tell us what to own (I'm going to stop because this list is getting way too long). These aspects apply especially to teenagers who are trying to grow up as fast as they can and trying to figure out who they are. Adults don't fully understand how hard it is to live in this generation where we are constantly trying to impress others and be 'perfect'.
High school is the home of what I call the 'popularity food chain' where you are ranked by how well you live up to these expectations. How shiny you hair is, how fashionable your clothes are, how flawless your skin is ect. The popular (usually quite bitchy) girls are on top of this chain, they are the sharks, and the shy 'loser' (don't worry you're not actually a 'loser' if your unpopular) girls are at the bottom, they are the little fish. We want to be on top of this chain, it's our natural instincts, only the fittest survive and we want to be the 'fittest' even in social situations. So to do this, naturally we market ourselves, like any product we want to sell our image to others so they like what they see. Humor is a very appealing characteristic some people focus on that, telling jokes trying to make people laugh, marketing themselves as funny. Beauty, also very appealing (HA!), tweaking and changing our outward physical appearance because we strive to be 'perfect', marketing ourselves to the opposite sex therefore enhancing their attraction toward you. We try to impress others too much, have you ever just stopped one second just to do something for yourself, to make yourself happy and impressed. Because you are the only person you should try to impress, how do you expect others to love you if you don't love yourself first.
What I'm really saying is you who is reading this (hopefully someone), you don't need to market yourself as anything but you. Don't let anyone tell you what you have to be or do, make your own choices and take chances. You might screw up really big at some point maybe even unintentionally hurt the people you love most but when you make mistakes you learn and move on. Don't ever think you're not good enough because you are. When someone doubts you prove them wrong and then laugh in their face. You don't need to impress anyone but yourself. If you love something, do it, not for anyone else but for you. That seems quite selfish, but we are selfish people, we are greedy and sometimes even vain (survival instincts...just saying). You don't need to live up to any of these expectations or be 'perfect'. Even if you are the tinniest little fish in the ocean, you have a purpose, you are important and there are other tiny little fish just like you. Being a teenager you may feel alone but you aren't. There's a whole sea of fish out there, many many different species, each unique which means many opportunities, possibilities and chances in the future for love, friendship and happiness. Why market yourself as 'perfect' when you are already perfect.
Beautiful Dreamer
xxxx
PS. sorry for all the biology
xxxx
PS. sorry for all the biology
