Do you believe your own hype?

Recently I have heard alot of co-workers, friends, medical students and patients complaining about Doctors who think they are god and talk down to people and are stuck on themselves.

A friend of mine was telling me how he hasn't spoken to his sister in years. She is a beautiful model for beer comercials and has been in local radio promotions. He said he can't stand being around her about a year ago or so because she has started to buy into all the hype about herself.

The idea of hype is interesting. We are social creatures who look to others for a certain amount of approval. If we recieve it and it is positive we feel good about ourselves. If we recieve too much or consistently absorb what people say about us without divorcing who we are from it or without any rational criticism then over time we can believe it and make ourselves more who we are. We buy into our own hype!!

It is easy to look at Celebrities or Doctors or Politicians as people who are the only ones who are subject to it but I think we all do to a certain degree. We live in a world where messages are constantly being created & sent around us & to us about how people percieve us, who they think we are, their opinion of us, if they think we are funny, pretty, outgoing, etc., etc., etc.

I have a few friends who usually compliment me on my looks. Nothing distasteful and it is all in good fun and that is how I have always taken it. One friend likes to grab me and call me sexual chocolate. I have never listened to them and thought "That's right I'm the cat's meow!!!" I laugh about it and take it as their way of showing attention, affection, or just to get a reaction out of me.

So the other day I remember thinking I'm decent looking and nice. A certain lady I know has repeatedly brought it up in casual conversation she is single and has no one to go out with. I had developed a crush on her eventually asked her out. She said no and BLAM...I was denied! As I was contemplating all of this afterwords, because I don't handle rejection well, I remember feeling a little sad. There was no comfort from any of my friends who told me I was good looking or cute. Part of me wished I was full of myself because then her rejection would not bother me and I could easily pick up some other female. But I knew that no matter what happened that rejection is a possible risk when you like someone.

Four days later I noticed a female co-worker checking out my rear. I realize all is not lost, there are other fish in the sea, one was just checking out my fanny, and I must be very shallow for this to make me feel better. As long as I'm not stuck on myself...I can live with being shallow.