“Don’t idolize anyone. We’re all just flawed humans” ~ Lex Fridman.

As he drives into the paint, I can only admire his footwork. The effortless bounce from which he arches his glorious shooting form is nothing but magic to see. His vertical rising above giants to dunk engrosses me so much that I can’t get enough of the sight. Guarding the ball against the mighty Ray Allen, the elegance with which he frees himself open for a three is nothing short of majestic. With an oblivious smile on my face and a dopamine spike in my brain, I can only admire the aura with which he smirks at the crowd evoking similar reactions as mine from greats like Dwayne Wade. He is HIM – the one and only Kobe Bryant.
I have watched this clip a hundred times and I still watch it to this day. Similar to many others, Kobe Bryant has always been someone I admire. As someone who’s about 6 feet tall, Kobe is someone I would have modeled my game after. I can’t get enough of his clips and even use them as a morning ritual to get myself in the zone to focus and get some real work done. Rightfully so, every one of us out there has their Kobe Bryant. Indeed, there’s nothing more exhilarating than having a worthy role model who inspires you to get up and move. However, as much as I love Kobe, I have done my best to model him and not idolize him. There’s a stark difference. In most instances, I have seen many of us fall prey to the thin line that subtly differentiates admiration from idolization. The former is great while the latter is an excess of the former and not only has negative connotations but also negative consequences.
Per Lex Fridman’s wise quote above, the main problem with idolization is that it subtly pushes us into obliviously putting on faces that aren’t necessarily ours. We begin to live realities that aren’t ours. We begin to judge ourselves on standards that resonate not with our trajectory but the trajectory of our “idol”. Idolization is an abstract attitude that subtly takes one off their trajectory. Sounds wild? Pay close attention: An intricate symphony of over 86 billion neurons; A pulsating metropolis of over 100 trillion synapses; A cosmic ballet of over 100 billion neurotransmitter molecules per second. Huge? They’re not produced by a machine. They are produced by your brain. This wonderful organ is unique among us humans. Conversely, our trajectories are as unique as our brains. When you conform to standards that don’t resonate with you, you are probably living someone else’s trajectory. Blind conformity is indirectly living someone else’s reality. Therefore, we must move with Critical Thinking; embrace our trajectory; and own our reality. Rather than idolize anyone, we must take everything with a pinch of salt.
A big part of Idolization is that it tricks us into thinking that whatever our “idols” say are prescriptions. When the prescriptions fail us, we fall into a downward spiral, questioning everything we’ve ever believed. To reverse this adversity, we must take what our icons say as opinions rather than prescriptions. On hearing this opinion, we must put ourselves into the shoes of this other person and watch the levitation. The purpose of this is to internalize, think critically, and carefully plot out moves that “will” work for you rather than moves that “should” work for you. The great thing about modeling is that it involves more internalization, building our systems, and recognizing that these systems may or may not work. Things are going to be tough but it forces us to the drawing board not with any other person but with ourselves, forcing us to look within, reset, and lock in again.
Slashing “idols” from our vocabulary, it is important to recognize that our “role models” are just humans like us. They bleed; they cry; and they breathe. Move with an open heart; think critically; look within; and build what works for you. Again, we are all in this together. We Rise By Lifting Others.