The Flaws are Baked In...

I will hazard the guess that studying Human Beings, and BEING a Human Being gives one some insights on the subject of being Human. Look around. What's the main takeaway? We are not as smart or together as we pretend to be. We all have blind-spots and flaws, and we often lie to ourselves and others. Most of us probably suffer from the Imposter Phenomenon.  We feel like frauds fearing to be called out. Best to seek out our "authentic selves;" being and doing only what is authentic to our own quirky, flawed constitutions, knowing that we "don't really know" everything, sometimes don't know anything, but then deciding to be kind, gentle and humble with ourselves and others. It's probably a lifetime project. We are moving targets tracking moving targets.  Not surprising to find out that the most successful, popular, powerful, beautiful & accomplished amongst us are also supremely fucked up. It just goes with the territory. It turns out that Celebrity, Fame, Money, Power just amplify and cultivate our flaws and bad tendencies. And being poor, without Celebrity, Fame, Money, Power often makes one's existence just a grim, long, hard slog. Being poor in the land of supremely wealthy just knocks you down all across the board. Looking for evidence? Check out the daily headlines.  Really. "Elementary, My Dear Watson." That's not to say that some of us can't rise above the "needing, wanting, grasping." Many do. See the best of us in the Arts, Sciences, and Cultural Studies. We can find alternative ways to live and measure happiness and healthiness, but you know, it ain't easy, and it's a never-ending search and journey. Suffering helps. Helps us find some compassion for ourselves and others; I mean a lesson from The Buddha, easier said than done.