Even when I agree with something he's saying, I tend to disagree with how he's conveying it now. He also does one of the worst things any columnist can do; State that if you disagree at all, you're only proving their point. If you need to build a defense mechanism into your writing, you're doing it wrong.
I think sometimes it can be good to address potential counter arguments in your writing (e.g. if you are debating something), but "People that disagree are simply too immature to understand the point of the article" does ring alarm bells.
So while I don't think it's a perfect article or the best I've read on Cracked, I think there's basically one or two key messages that, even if they're not something to live by, I agree that everyone should really consider at some point.
If you're a creative person who doesn't actually create anything, a kind person who doesn't actually help others, a brave person who's never actually done anything courageous, a funny person who doesn't actually make people laugh, or an intelligent person who never actually does anything clever, then the only person to blame for people not appreciating you for the creative, kind, intelligent soul you are is yourself, not the "shallow" people who don't "care about what's on the inside".
You don't need to change your life because of it, but I think it is a harsh truth that's not too commonly heard, and that everyone should at least consider and remember. I'm sure at one point or another we've all seen ourselves one way because we feel that way on the inside, even if we can't point to anything we've actually done that demonstrates it. It's our responsibility to turn "who we are inside" into something tangible that other people can actually appreciate, not their responsibility to become mind readers.
And the other more practical side of it relating to work etc. (very useful to young people, I think) - you will be paid for what you do, not what you are. No one's going to pay you to just sit there and be smart, for example. They might pay you to use being smart to solve difficult problems that need to be solved to make money, but no one's just going to say "this person's a smart, decent, hard working guy - let's give him some money!"
At least that's the valuable material I can take away from this article. Young people thinking about their career and people who feel they don't get enough love for being good people on the inside, take note.
Or alternatively you could just watch Batman Begins and heed the, rather counter-intuitive sounding, quote: "It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."
Topic: How to be a better person (Read 2607 times)
