Recently I stumbled across an article explaining how the author was similar to Evan Hansen from Dear Evan Hansen. The first thing that crossed my mind was, "Why the hell would you want to be like Evan? Why are you proud to say that?" Although this may seem harsh, allow me to explain. *Spoilers ahead.*

I have never seen Dear Evan Hansen, but oh how I wish I could. The show is nominated for multiple Tony awards this season and I hope it takes them all because it is more than deserving of these awards. Dear Evan Hansen has gained popularity through its relatable story line that reflects the struggles of living with severe social anxiety in high school -- something far too many young adults deal with in their own individual ways today. However, Evan is not a character you should aspire to be or proudly claim you are similar to, and here's why.

Evan Hansen lets his anxieties dictate his life and that is by no means healthy. While yes, he tries to overcome it all, he royally screws up his senior year. Fabricating a friendship with fellow student Connor Murphy because he killed himself just to bring ease to the family of the deceased and maybe get the girl (in this case, Connor's sister, Zoe) in the process is absolutely insane. However, this is a very likely scenario for someone with social anxiety, since they sometimes cannot get themselves out of certain situations due to their inability to speak up and clarify. Evan digs himself a grave, going deeper and deeper into this fabricated friendship by writing false emails between himself and Connor. The whole story begins to unravel and as it falls apart, so does Hansen. He is thrown around and around inside his head and breaks down, and everything comes out and his world is destroyed. He loses Zoe and all of the so-called friends he gained through trying to preserve Connor's memory.

Now, eventually, Evan does learn from his mistakes. He apologizes to the Murphys and to Zoe by the end of the show, and he seems to be doing somewhat better, but the damage has been done. Evan cannot escape his turbulence from senior year, and perhaps that haunts him -- like I said, I have not yet seen the show, therefore I do not actually know; all of my plot information has come from online research.

There is essentially nothing positive about Evan as a character. He is by no means a role model for anyone, let alone someone struggling with their own anxieties. To say you want to be like Evan Hansen is to say that you want to ruin your life with anxiety-induced impulsion and face all of his heartbreaking consequences. To call yourself an Evan Hansen is possibly one of the most self-destructive things you can mentally and verbally do to yourself. If you are struggling with anxiety, you do not want to find people who have let it ruin their lives and decide to follow in their exact same path, but rather you should want to find someone who has actually overcome their struggles and improved their lives.

Of course, we are all "Evan Hansens" in our own ways. We make mistakes, we screw up. That is just life, plain and simple. But we are not like Evan Hansen, nor do we proudly claim to be. To be Evan Hansen is not something to be overly proud of unless you are Ben Platt and are accepting your Tony Award for Best Actor. Then, that is the only time you can proudly claim to be Evan Hansen, and even then you are claiming to be the personification of a Broadway character.

This article was not meant to put down people like Hansen, but it is important to know that this is not a character intended to be a role model. Evan Hansen, in my opinion, is meant to be a reflection of the worst moments in life. He is the result of the pressures of high school and college. as well as neurochemical imbalances. Evan Hansen's character is not a role model, but rather a figure created to demonstrate the life of someone with social anxiety and what can happen if you let it control your life.

Strive to be better than Evan Hansen, not the same as him. Be your own person and learn from your mistakes.