This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at F and M chapter.
Let’s Get Real: What Does it Mean to Be Human?
*Listen to this as you are reading:
“We are all human.”
This statement seems to be simple and comprehensible to everyone who reads it, but what exactly DOES it mean to simply “be human”?
Is humanity the ability to love?
Is it the ability to show kindness? Or is it simply being able to feel alive at moments where nothing seems to ever go wrong?
As someone in their 20s, I feel as if my life is just beginning – and in a way, that is exactly the stage of life where I am at. I am in the middle of my college career, which basically translates to the stage of life where “I am still under the protection of the remnants of child-like innocence and curiosity, but also on the verge of entering this newly profound world of adulthood.” #adulting am I right? As I am slowly but surely embarking on a journey to prepare myself for the “real world,” I couldn’t help but think about what exactly does it mean to just be me? In order to deconstruct this seemingly simple statement, let’s start at the beginning.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “human” as “of, relating to, or characteristic of humans,” in other words, having the attributes of being a human. But what exactly are the characteristics of being “a human” because what DOES it mean to simply BE human?
Well, here’s my take on what it means to be “human”: To be human is to acknowledge that you are not perfect. To be human is to be able to experience the ups and downs of life because that is simply living. To live is to love and to love is to be human. There are lots of things that society says we should and shouldn’t be, but just because you are different doesn’t make you “un-human.” Being human is to be imperfect. If I had to chose a combination of words to describe this crazy thing we call existing, it would be this: LOVE yourself and others around you because you are the epitome of KINDNESS. Be IMPERFECT in every PERFECT way that you are and can be. Don’t be afraid of having those SAD days because bigger and HAPPY days are coming your way. Make MISTAKES because at the end of the day, the WORLD is yours for the taking and every JOURNEY that you encounter throughout your LIFE makes you HUMAN. To be who you want to be free of judgments, to not be afraid to be silly and mess up because sometimes that’s just the way things are. The simplicity in life and the journey to love and self-discovery. In my eyes, all of these things are what makes you a human.
*All images from giphy.com.