The Human Shell | Teen Ink

The Human Shell

January 22, 2011
By missJaneAusten BRONZE, Toronto, Other
missJaneAusten BRONZE, Toronto, Other
3 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Never take life too sriously. You don't make it out alive anyway"


Every person has a shell. Without this shell, one cannot live. It protects us from the outside, the people, the environment and most importantly, the society we live in. But the shell is special. It covers us outside. It can protect us from anything we want. But the one thing that the shell can’t protect us from is the most dangerous of all of them. The shell can’t protect us from ourselves.

This shell appears when a human firsts lies to itself. It hides its feelings, torments itself and manages to cover their true form. The reasons for doing so are endless. Nonetheless, the shell begins to grow. Think of it like mould. The more something rots or goes bad, the more the mould grows. It’s the same with the shell. The lies and the secrets build up. As does the shell. But one needs to ask themselves this. How can one break out of their shell? Is it possible?

So the shell begins to get thicker and thicker. Pretty soon, the average person is hiding their true self. The shell acts as a wall to keep the true person inside in. In some cases, the shell gets so thick that the person doesn’t know who they are anymore. They are so used to keeping their feelings bottled up inside that they begin to conform. They “fit in” with society. When a person abandons their true self, they blank out. Soon, you have a whole crowd of people, all walking around, emotionless and barren. The average person may not notice it, but a person without a shell will. It has taken over you. The shell protects you from anything. But the one thing that the shell failed to protect you from was the one thing that scares you the most. The shell has won.

Everyone tells you that you are special and unique. You walk around, feeling pleased with yourself, when you see another person telling somebody else the same thing. We are all special and unique, right? Well, if we are all special, then how does that make us ALL unique? At the end of the day, were all the same. Being told something is one thing. But proving that in fact you are extraordinary is a whole different matter. So that brings us to the most important point. Is it possible to break out of our shell? Or are we meant to walk around with one forever, considering we can’t live without one?

Be true to yourself. That is the message at the end of the day. Don’t be ashamed of it. To break out of your shell takes a person going beyond extraordinary measures. And there are people like that in the world. Hard to find, they are, but they’re out there. Start out easy. Begin to let yourself think things. Go outside your comfort zone. By doing these small things, every day, you begin to let your true form shine. Don’t ever let somebody tell you you’re not special. Every one is, but in their own way. And that’s what makes us all unique. Not the fact that somebody tells us we are. But the fact that we have proved to ourselves that we are, in fact, extraordinary.

Yet the most important question has still not been answered. Can we break out of these shells? Probably not. But don’t think I’m contradicting myself. The shell is still needed to protect us from the people who still have their shells on. These people think that if you are not like everybody else, you’re not special. They think if you’re different, there is something wrong with you. But it is quite the opposite. At the end of the day, they are the ones who are lying to themselves. If the shell is not possible to get off, try to peel off layers, one by one. When you are finally true to yourself, that’s when your individuality shines through. So congratulations. You are in control of your shell. It is no longer in control of you. Someday, there comes along a person who is fully able to dispose of their shell. So keep your eyes out. That person could be you


The author's comments:
I have a shell. but last year, it was much thicker. Over the year, I mad changes. I realized that the people I thought were my best friends didnt know me at all. I finally let them go and had a fresh start. I let me true self shine.

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This article has 31 comments.


seltaye3 said...
on Feb. 9 2011 at 11:44 am
wow!!!!!!!! totally love this article

on Feb. 8 2011 at 8:55 am
i loved this article!!!!!!!! i especially enjoyed the part when you discussed how important it was to stay true to yourslef!!!!!!!

hairbeyo74 said...
on Feb. 8 2011 at 8:54 am
this article has a lot of thought behind it and was very creative. well done :)

on Feb. 8 2011 at 8:53 am
it was very conventional and creative :)

on Feb. 8 2011 at 8:52 am
wow!!!!!!!!!! i relly enjoyed reading this!!!!!!!!!

dan67 said...
on Feb. 7 2011 at 6:06 pm
inspirational

jas123 said...
on Feb. 7 2011 at 6:05 pm
coolio awsome

lass123 said...
on Feb. 7 2011 at 6:03 pm
very creative

holli said...
on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:50 pm
very good 

drakke34 said...
on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:49 pm
very well written

lancey123 said...
on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:38 pm
awsomelokj

garthvader90 said...
on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:35 pm

i love how it captures the essential parts of life

 


on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:33 pm
this is an amazing article!!!!!!!!!! very well written :)

on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:28 pm
not the best but ok

on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:09 pm
i admit that it was good, though some parts could use some bruching up

on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:06 pm
this was a good article. i definetly enjoyed reading it ")

on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:04 pm
i love this article!!!!!!! i love how it explains each component!!!!!

on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:03 pm
though this article wa good, it could have used a bit more clarifying. good job though

on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:02 pm
reading this article got me inspired!

on Feb. 7 2011 at 5:01 pm
the article captures how important it is to never forget who you are and to not be afraid to shine