Pedestal’s. Pedi’s. Pedeste’s.
Whatever you call it, everyone knows what a pedestal is.
We know them because we create them all of the time. Or at least I do. I am an extraordinary builder of pedestal’s.
I build pedestal’s and put people on them all the while I am looking up at them thinking “I’ll never be deserving of someone like that in my life.”
Or, I put myself on the pedestal and sometimes pridefully think, “I could do better. I could hang out with better. I could date better.” Etc, etc, etc.
Both are false.
I have come to realize in my life that the people that I do not feel worthy of or that I believe will never love me back because they are “too good” or “too kind” or whatever for me, I am actually treating them as an object.
An OBJECT?!
Why yes. Thanks for emphasizing.
When you put someone on a pedestal as “better than you” or “cooler” or “more blessed” or “more pure” or whatever the cripes it is, you are treating them as an object and not as a human being.
We forget, when we are so consumed with our own selves and faults and weaknesses, that the person we are putting on the pedestal also has trials, weaknesses, sadness, dark times, etc.
We view them as an object and we also view ourselves the same way.
When you put yourself down and build a pedestal for someone else to stand up above you on, you are treating yourself as an object.
You are treating yourself as if you are a product that needs to be better or needs to be updated to a certain setting in order to be on “equal” footing as the person you built up.
You are telling yourself you aren’t good enough, haven’t reached certain expectations, are a failure, etc.
You are treating yourself as if you weren’t a human being with weaknesses, strengths, someone that can make mistakes, that can make the best of every moment, etc.
You forget that you are a human that is deserving of love and compassion and understanding.
You forget that the person you put on the pedestal is deserving of that too and might just be in need of it but you can’t see because you’re so consumed with what’s going on with you.
The same goes for when you build a pedestal and put yourself on top and put others beneath.
You feel better being on top. Feel like you’re in control of your life because you’ve “made it”.
You feel better than others because you believe you’ve made it all on your own despite what you’ve gone through. Maybe you even think that the people below you aren’t even trying hard enough.
Again, when you do this, you are treating them as an object. You are not looking upon them with compassion or love. You are looking at them as if they are a downgrade.
When you put yourself above another, you are also still treating yourself as an object. Something that is to be worshipped and revered.
Do you not remember your own weaknesses or dark times?
Do you not remember the compassion that has been shown to you? The love?
Pedi’s. Pedeste’s. Pedestal’s or whatever you want to call it, are not something we human’s should be making but we are prone to do it because we love to compare and contrast.
“Whose life is better? Mine?? Or his????”
“She’s so much more prettier and skinnier than me.”
“He has someone that loves him, I’ll never have that.”
“No one will ever love or accept me because I am unlovable.”
I believe that comparing will always be a part of me and something that I will always have to challenge and that’s okay.
It’s okay because I realize that I have the choice.
Yes, I built the pedestal. But it doesn’t mean I have to stand on it or lift someone up.
I can stay on the ground and look at everyone with equal footing.