Waxing Philosophical

We are defined by our environment. By the people around us. By society. Through human interaction, we base our judgments of ourselves. Without them, we would have no basis of comparison.

I just got that thought looking at myself in the mirror just now. I would be a completely different person if I lived somewhere else. And met different people. And went through different experiences.

Just thought of Rebecca for some reason. How if I saw her now, it'd be like we never knew each other. Sure, we would have a common ground in past experiences and stuff, but I can't see myself in her eyes, while a few short months ago, I could.

That phrase "I've become a new man" is pretty literal. I mean, I've grown. I guess that's one way of looking at it. I've changed. That's another. But what I really feel is that with Rebecca as an arbitrary comparison, I'm another person, and I can look back at people who I would have done anything back then to become accepted by, and I can say "FUCK THEM!".

I truly don't need them. I could have never expected this change. An physically, I'm not that different. I look the same, I even act the same in certain situations. But personally--in my mind--I'm different. I'm a completely different human being. Because I'm part of a different environment. And maybe that's what I need.

When 2 DIFFERENT people collide, and they're firmly inground in their respective lives, that is when true friendship, or true love, or even true hate, can emerge. Because at that point, it's much more difficult to change. They're not being molded much anymore. Not MUCH. Everyone continually changes, but with each change comes reflection and with reflection comes solid ideas and values. And I'm not sure if values must be similar for friendship or different for hate, but I'm finding only at that point does either truly emerge.