Ellen Degeneres said...

[certainthings]

We all feel like idiots at one time or another. Even if we feel we're cool 98 percent of the time, that 2 percent doofus is poised to take over our bodies without any warning. It just takes a crack in the sidewalk - one little trip. We feel like fools, turning our back to look at it. "There's a pebble, somebody better put up some orange cones to warn the others. Everbody's gonna trip like I did." Then we look back that one more time to show the pebble who's boss, "Damn pebble, why-I-oughta..."

We do that because we think that people are staring at us, sensing our inadequacy, noting our flaws, mocking our clumsiness. But perhaps, sadly (though, for the purpose of this book, perhaps not - perhaps humorously instead), nobody is noticing. Everybody is too busy worrying that they look like idiots to care about you.

If you think that none of that applies to you, just take a look at your picture in your high school yearbook. Because closer to the surface than you think is that awkward adolescent hoping that people like her and praying that nobody notices how much she hopes that people like her and knowing that if people knew what an idiot she was, they'd never like her. Or maybe not. Maybe you'd just see how funny you looked back then and and have a good laugh. Either way it's worthwhile.

--Ellen Degeneres [My Point ... And I Do Have One]

Comments

[jaimsie.livejournal.com]

Those pesky pebbles, thanks for spamming sharing this today!

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

:) Welcome.

[harleymae.livejournal.com]

We do that because we think that people are staring at us, sensing our inadequacy, noting our flaws, mocking our clumsiness. ... Everybody is too busy worrying that they look like idiots to care about you.

I realised that when I got older. Nowadays I do things like walk into parking meters and I don't feel embarrassed at all. :P

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

I sometimes still do, depends on how I'm feeling that day and such.

[apey1013.livejournal.com]

I had one of those moments in class. Went to open a DVD to put in the player to show the students and the box goes flying out of my hands and clatters on the floor really loudly. Yeesh.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Eee-ouch.

[jules-411.livejournal.com]

This is one of the reasons that I really love Ellen, she brings up a lot of things that we all (or at least a lot of us) feel, and puts things in perspective. That whole second paragraph is pretty much how I feel the majority of the time, and I really need to get over it because I know most people aren't really paying all that much attention to me.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Right there with you.

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

I remember being surprised when I was told that people do notice you - I always assumed they didn't, because I knew *I* didn't notice other people. But this probably had more to do with clothes or something, and not spazzy things we do.

::hugs all the spazzes (all of us)::

[culturegeek76.livejournal.com]

Ellen is as wise as she is funny.
I still question her taste in women though. Whatever, I don't have to sleep with them, so I should shut up.
But that wise thing? Totally true.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

That she is.

[agt-league.livejournal.com]

So true.

I like your icon a lot. *nibbles*

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

Icon: *nibbles back*

[agt-league.livejournal.com]

Nibbling icon ey? That's pretty special.

[certainthings.livejournal.com]

I like my icons to be interactive.