I have always been fascinated by the concept of role models. So much of our thoughts, behaviors, interests, and actions are based off of what we see others doing.
Why do we do this? Why is it so important to us to base our lives off of the people around us? I, unfortunately, don’t have the answer to either of those questions, but I do have a lot of thoughts on the topic that help us to understand this curious phenomenon.
Generally, but not always, our role models are people who are older than us. They could be parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, you name it. What humors me the most is the age where we start imitating those older than us. There is nothing more adorable than seeing my little 7-year-old neighbor pull out his Fisher-Price toy lawn mower every time his dad goes out to cut the grass. It doesn’t matter what the weather is nor the time of day, that little guy is always right on his dad’s heels mowing away.
As cute as it is when we come across instances such as this one, it seems strange to me that we sort of brush them off as something that only little children do. It is as if we have forgotten that our lives are filled with situations that mirror my little neighbor’s mower scenario.
It seems that in today’s day and age, people are obsessed with trying to be “original” and being the first one’s to do this or that— “hipsters,” if you will. This is a shame in my opinion. I think there are certainly areas in one’s life where they need to be their own person, but there is also something special that comes with having role models. In my experience, the people who I look up to tend to be the main reasons for me to break out of my shell and try something new.
I worked at a car wash for a good chunk of my life. It was dirty, tiring, and difficult, but my coworkers were great, which is why I stayed for such a long time. When I got hired, most of them were older than me and therefore I really looked up to them. There were a few who were really in to martial arts, which I could have cared less about at the time. After a few months of working with them and talking to them, my interest in karate, kung fu, kickboxing, taekwondo, and number of other fighting styles sky-rocketed. The only logical reason for this was because those people who I looked up to liked them, and consequently so did I.
My point in sharing this story is this; I wasn’t 7 years old like my neighbor. I was 17. There is nothing wrong with having people in your life who you look up to. It is too hard to try new things and learn valuable lessons on your own. Let your role models help you to navigate through life and I guarantee you will find satisfaction.
