“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” – Kurt Cobain
It’s interesting that a quote such as the one above could come from a rock star. Why? In the same vein of actors and athletes, those who enjoy their creations and feel a unique connection to the people and the music they’ve produced look up to famous musicians as idols. For late Generation X/early Gen Y members, Kurt Cobain is one of the greatest examples of musical idolization. Cobain – front man of the historic rock band “Nirvana” – was, and still is to a certain extent, treated like a music god among gods thanks to his passionate vocals and open-to-interpretation lyrics. Yet, Cobain didn’t want that power over people – a power to manipulate and shape the lives of millions who wanted to be just like him.
Cobain understood that becoming the rock star that he was wasn’t by being like his idols or the people who inspired him. Cobain knew the only person worth being is you. To be like someone else ruins the greatness of you – your story, your experiences, your very being. It’s one thing to gain inspiration from someone you look up to. It’s something completely different to lose yourself in the image of that same person you idolize.
There’s nothing wrong with looking up to, finding kinship, or being inspired by someone other than yourself. But don’t lose the person you are in the quest to match or meet the image of the person you see as your inspiration.
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