Image is everything. Self-respect is nothing. Call me crazy, but I’d say that sums up the motto of the average college student at this university.

I’m so sick of interacting and dealing with the same multi-faced, ignorant individuals. These people aren’t hard to find. In fact, you can practically spot them from a mile away.

They’re the ones that change the way they act depending on the environment or surroundings they’re in. They’ll say one thing to one person, and then turn around and completely change their opinion in the presence of someone else. When it comes down to it, these individuals are more concerned with the image they put forth than what they actually think of themselves.

I’ll give you a perfect example I witnessed. You’ve got your typical group of college friends sitting around socializing. There’s Jane Doe, Jessica Doe and Julie Doe hanging out with a few other friends. A typical conversation is taking place when Jackie Doe’s name comes up.

Jane says, “Oh, I really like her. I think she’s really nice,” etc. Immediately, Jessica and Julie glare at Jane as if they had some some sort of super powerful vision that can rewind time and erase what Jane had just said.

Jane, obviously noticing the disapproval of her two counterparts, quickly recovered from the savage stares by saying, “Oh, we don’t like her? Why don’t I like her. Tell me why.”

Once Jane was given a satisfactory answer to the effect of, “Oh, she’s friends with so and so” or “she gave me a dirty look that one time,” she was convinced. Jane had been swayed so easily that she then said, “Yeah, I never really liked her much. I always thought she was kind of a (insert common name for female dog here).”

So Jane went from thinking the world of Jackie Doe, to basically despising her. This all happened in a matter of 30 seconds. Now had her two friends indicated they liked Jackie, Jane would have likely had a reply to the effect of, “Oh, I think she’s a real angel.”

Pardon me while I puke.

Have some respect for yourself. Form your own opinion. Be yourself no matter what the surroundings.

Don’t think this scenario I’ve placed before you is an isolated incident. Believe me, it isn’t. I see it happen all the time.

So many people are too caught up in their image and what they want to be that they don’t even truly know who they are. Why do you think crates of creatine and masses of metabolite sell like the last bottle of water in the middle of a desert?

Tell me the majority of people on this campus are satisfied with their physical appearance, and I’ll tell you you’re a liar. Why is this?

It’s because people are too obsessed with living up to the demands of acquiring a perfect image both physically and socially. What they should really be doing is saving their money to enroll in a self-esteem clinic, because what they think of themselves should come way before what any one else believes.

Don’t get me wrong, we should value the opinions of others. But we shouldn’t let them dictate our own.

I can’t believe how many people I know or have met on this campus that are so scared to say and stick with what they truly think, because it might hurt their image, or someone might think differently of them. So what?

I’ll let you all in on a little secret. There is no such thing as the perfect image, except for the one you see in the mirror everyday.

And in the end, that’s the only one that ever truly matters.