Everyone hates a poser

I've been thinking about what qualities I really admire in people and I think I've known all along that I value Integrity the most. It's funny that in the fifth grade I was forced to write a report about integrity after getting into some shenanigans in computer class and am now so appreciative of it. For me as long as a person is living with integrity and being completely honest with themselves I can respect them. So many people just live day to day with the intention of making it to the end or act in situations how they feel they are expected to act. That aggravates me to no end. Allow me to illustrate an example.

First I do not believe anyone should ever try to be just like someone else. Yes, I think emulating one's good qualities is a noble endeavor, but trying to be them is a different far less noble one. I cannot tell a lie, there are characteristics of my older brother I admire, I often try to summon those up in me. But if I were to go out, dress just like him, try to think of what he would say and say that, walk like him, live like him, I would no longer be me. I would lose all remnant of self. I would be a phony, or as I would say back in my wannabe punker days, a poser. Everyone hates a poser.

On the other hand if I were to look past actions, words, and appearances to look to the underlying intentions and integrities of them, and draw out those qualities I could use them. Not in the sense that I would be imitating but really in a way evolving. I would think to myself, "ok I've pinpointed the underlying quality that I truly admire, now how would I use that quality." You have to ask yourself, "why is this quality admirable? What is it that I admire about it? What can I learn from this?" and then use your newfound knowledge.

I really should have prefaced this all by saying integrity is really a multi-faceted thing and one important part is truth to ones self and genuineness.

It is cheesy but also very try that one must never try to be someone they're not. It is far more admirable for one to come to you exactly as what they are. whatever that may be, rather than be able to imitate something they're not to near perfection.

I also want to make a shout out to a shining example of genuineness -Geoffrey P.