we become the stories others tell about us - by maja

“Call a boy a gentleman and watch his shoulders straighten. Call a girl a lady and watch her spirit turn graceful. Humanity was brought into existence by God speaking words into the void of the universe. We tend to become what we are called.” - The Medicine of Hope I keep returning to that idea: we tend to become what we are called. Think of the words you reach for when you describe yourself: quiet, funny, rude, gentle. We wear these words as if they were entirely our own, but how many did we actually choose? How many were smuggled in, slipped to us through a passing comment, a stranger’s glance, a lover’s remark? The self, I’m reminded again and again, is never built alone, but a story written in collaboration, drafted from the words others use to name us. This piece can be read as a continuation of my earlier essay, Some Parts of You Only Emerge for Certain People. There, I explored how relationships draw hidden facets of us to the surface. Here, I want to go further: we are not only

“Call a boy a gentleman and watch his shoulders straighten. Call a girl a lady and watch her spirit turn graceful. Humanity was brought into existence by God speaking words into the void of the universe. We tend to become what we are called.” - The Medicine of Hope I keep returning to that idea: we tend to become what we are called. Think of the words you reach for when you describe yourself: quiet, funny, rude, gentle. We wear these words as if they were entirely our own, but how many did we actually choose? How many were smuggled in, slipped to us through a passing comment, a stranger’s glan