Being in Hufflepuff, honesty is something I value. I don’t like people being fake with me. An example of this comes with my friendships. I can usually tell when someone is being nice only because they feel bad for me. And I hate it.
Criticism is a tricky thing for me. While I want people to be honest with me, it’s also nice to have encouragement. Even though I had my ups and downs in college – and believe me, there was more than one occasion where I felt like a fool in front of my professors – they still believed in me. They saw my potential underneath my struggles. That really meant – and still means – a lot.
That kind of constructive criticism works for me. What doesn’t work is a constant stream of critical negativity. It makes me feel like I can’t do anything right, and it undermines my sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. But some people seem to think encouragement is a bad thing. I don’t know why. I was able to deal with it in my formative years, but everything changed when I went away to college.
In college, I had freedom. I was able to do what I wanted, when I wanted. And yes, I made mistakes. But I like to think I learned from those mistakes.
But for some people, it seems like even the smallest mistake is unacceptable. Well, newsflash: nobody’s perfect. I am not a child anymore. I have a right to be my own person. I don’t have to please everyone around me. In fact, it’s impossible. I’ve tried so hard to please people; I don’t know if I can do it anymore.
