Adhara, that brings up an interesting thought. It actually helps me better form what I meant to say to Jestor, as well.
Note that I'm not trying to pick on you, just trying to bring discussion.
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I think we can all say that we would like to grow, as people, over time. Some people grow more caring, others grow more knowledgeable, others still grow in their humanity. I don't think anyone here would contest the idea that "growing is a good thing".
However, growth is an interesting thing. Healing is a similar process. From a more mundane standpoint, so is fixing.
It's an act of change. Changing from one state to a (hopefully) better state.
You want to not be broken. So you change to be fixed/healed.
You want to grow. So you change to be better.
Or, from another viewpoint, you have grown. You are not the same you you used to be. You have changed over time.
Now, this invokes quite a few philosophical problems (cue
Ship of Theseus
sailing in), as well as plain old fear of change.
Change means turning into something different, something new.
People may say things like:
I like my sameness. I like my security. Different is unknown. Different is scary. We don't know what lies in different, but we know what lies here. This is safe. This is good.
With gratuitous use of slippery slopes... This can lead to complacency and oversheltering.
I don't believe that we necessarily need an idealized self, but I do feel that we need to be aware of how we can better ourselves, and in what direction would help us to grow. Self-analysis and constructive self-criticism. Being realistic with our own flaws.. and then planning to change or bridge them, if possible.
To be the best you you can be.
