We Become What We Behold

The following is an exerpt of an essay I wrote earlier this year. It was publised a few months ago on the blog of a dear friend, Paul Pastor. You can find the full post at The Rose Fire.

“You are what you eat, from your head down to your feet,” is the opening line of a health PSA jingle that ran between cartoons on Saturday mornings in the 1970s. It was a catchy tune, one that still gets stuck in my head from time to time. And, anatomically, its message is true. 

Our bodies assimilate the food we ingest. If we want to be healthy, we need to eat healthy foods. Given our current health crisis in the United States (the alarming rates of diabetes, heart disease, etc.), perhaps we need to bring this PSA back. But I have recently been imagining another version of this PSA, a version that would urge us to have healthy souls. The first line would go something like this: “You become what you see.” Or, perhaps better: “You become what you behold.” That message is true, too. 

Human beings are born imitators. Despite our best intentions, we tend to grow up to be much like our parents. This trait that we have—to become what we see—is why businesses spend billions of dollars in advertising each year. It’s why a brand will pay big bucks to have their products placed in movies. It’s why famous musicians, football players, and gymnasts are paid handsomely to promote brands. It’s why Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram utilize “infinite scroll” in their apps. There is something about our ability to see—and the way we choose to use that ability—that influences who we are and who we become.

I remember when I first learned to ride a motorcycle. I practiced and practiced and practiced. At first, I rode around the block. After a few days of that, I moved on to touring through the neighborhood. A few days later I ventured further out. I was determined to do it right. I did not want to end up in a hospital or morgue. After practicing for a couple of weeks, I signed up for a two-day safety course. One bit of wisdom our instructor said over and over again was this: Look where you want to go. On a bike or a motorcycle, your arms and those two wheels are going to take you where your eyes are pointing. 

Life, it turns out, works the same way.

You can find the full post at The Rose Fire.