Downsizing

hermit-crab
Originally uploaded by DeaSuperba.

Hermit crabs do not form their own shells but instead use the cast off shells of other animals. On some beaches, where shells are scarce, a crab may be forced to live in a shell that is too small for him and his grotesque, bristling body protrudes from its crowded prison.

Like hermit crabs, people do not make their own organic reputations, but must conform to pre-made categories, which fit their real selves with varying snuggness. In our democratic society, there is an abundance of shells and we are all encouraged to dwell in the largest ones we can carry on our backs. This leads to discomfort, as we drag our inflated reputations behind us, or the loss of our shells, as they slide off our backs.

Slogans like "you can do anything" and "be all that you can be" are destructive. While we thankfully don't have to live in uniformly small shells, our culture creates new misery by pushing mediocre people to live in oversized shells. Stop and consider yourself--your natural abilities and your true desires--and find a shell that fits.