this industry is very condusive to my egocentric self.

this i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i me i me me i i me industry i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me is me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me very condusive i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i to me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me my i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i egocentric me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i i me me i i me i me i me i me me i i i me me i me me i i i i me me i me me i me me i i i me me me me me i me me i i me i me me i me me me i i me i i i me me me me me i me me i i i me me me i me me me i self

Comments

D said…
That's enough talk about you, let's talk about me!
5:17 PM
AWretchLikeMe said…
Well, at least you're honest.
6:28 PM
Anonymous said…
hmmm... such a rivetting read...

Seriously though, I've heard Rick Warren ponder... why does any good happen in the word at all with a planet full of people as selfish as I am? it's sort of opposite to that old question "Why do bad things happen in the world if there is a God?".
6:45 PM
Anonymous said…
I just got reminded of the invisible hand; looking out for/caring about yourself and what you want to do would help do something for the rest of society. Or maybe that just applies to only some people.
7:56 PM
Anonymous said…
living in a house of mirrors, are we? :-)
8:13 PM
Anonymous said…
Need some perspective? Then just ask for it, and God will shock you...
8:54 PM
Anonymous said…
yeah, i think you covered it all.
9:29 PM
Anonymous said…
industry? what about life? and our hearts? heads and minds?


it starts in our hearts and thrives until it gets into our heads like a disease many of us try to battle it but we are too weak and fail and then we carry it out and poison others!

BUT we know who came for us and who can face this disease of ours and choke it so we can finally breathe!

It is the name above all names, kings of kings.

-vw
Gottes Segen!
10:10 PM
vishneda said…
Yeah, but your art blasts holes in your ego and shows us who you really are.

American industrialism is condusive to mindless egocentric behavior. Carrot and stick, baybee! Oooh! Oooh! I earned this carrot! I *must* be great!
11:57 PM
Hans said…
It is one of the fearful things about a life in the arts - the fact that success is measured by how others react to the artist revealing himself/herself, and that the natural outgrowth of relating to art is an investigation of the artist.

Honesty is a form of humility.

At the risk of defeating the purpose: Bravo.
12:25 AM
Book of James said…
I am reminded of the words on one of my 14 year old's t-shirts.

"You Are Unique, Just Like Everyone Else"

We are all susceptible to self absorption.

It concerns me because I am about to send my daughter off to Belmont so she can get into the industry.

Tell me that it's not all bad out there...

Ha, That's it. You should adopt a teenager that doesn't like you or your music. Nothing teaches humility to others like a self absorbed teenager.

Cheers
2:10 AM
Anonymous said…
yeah... pretty much you're annoying. :) it's lke you're God or something... i mean it's impossible to "flee from your presence." because if i walk down the hall one girl has a picture of you posted on her door and another has you framed on her desk. if i go to a basketball game the beatles are being played one time out and anberlin the next. if i flip on the television, i might see you on a late night show. if i get in my car to go to the beach, you're on the radio. if i want to read a magazine... if i want to check myspace... if i want to buy a cd of a band whose name starts with one of the beginning letters of the alphabet - you are there. lol. ahh stephen. it's true. you're famous. and you may somehow be omnipresent, but God has got ya on omnisciency, so don't start thinking that you know it all. :) keep on seeking Him and as you do, embrace the position that God has placed you in - for His glory. i'm proud of you stephen. and i was right when i diagnosed you 6 years ago as being one of the most ambitious people i know. keep on dreaming big.

agape, katrina marie
4:08 AM
Anonymous said…
i actually think that's kinda funny.

I know if I was in your postion I would be the same way too...just don't get too deep in it.

btw you spelled conducive wrong.

:)
5:08 AM
anne said…
It's good that you're aware because you can do something about it :)
5:14 AM
Anonymous said…
ive been thinking about this post today and I remembered an interview I read some time ago that your dad told you to play as if it were for an audience of one. Just remember who that 'one' is and remember that opinion is the only one that counts.
5:43 AM
Anonymous said…
haha... i love it.

sadly, im a twenty year old whose thoughts are much like this post. im rather ridiculous. thanks for being honest.

gen_gen_gem.livejournal.com
9:02 AM
M. Shotliff said…
It happens to everyone at some point. Just make sure you deflate your ego before someone has to do it for you...they might not be so polite.
11:57 AM
Sarah Joy said…
i think we all suffer from the same problems - just some people know how to disguise it better and some people dont :)

like that someone quoted Rick Warren "why does any good happen in the world at all with a planet full of people as selfish as i am?"

gah. i think about it all the time!

and yes honestly is humility right? unless we choose what we want to be honest about so to have a fake sense of humility about ourselves and let people praise us for being humble only to feel more elevated than ever!

argh...
1:16 PM
Pop-Punk Junkie said…
That basically covers the entire American way of life, it seems.
8:24 PM
philip said…
i agree, in fact, i would say that everyone is self-seeking. sometimes that is really troubling to me, especially because i am just as selfish as everyone else. it gets me thinking, is there hope for any glimpse of selflessness in this world? it seems like every action, whether it be helping another, making music, going to school, or even commenting on blogs, can be traced to a selfish motive.
1:18 AM
Anonymous said…
Well the commandment "love your neighbour like you love yourself" is surely a convincing evidence of Gods insight in the human soul, isn't it.
3:42 PM
Anonymous said…
I want to add: you're in my prayers. Not in a Lord-forgive-him-his-sins kind of way, but in a Lord-give-him-strength-to-fight-this-demon kind of way.
7:45 PM
Anonymous said…
The greatest addiction known to man is the addiction to self. Everything else is peripheral.
8:59 AM
Anonymous said…
Quite clear, no? Not hard to find out what this piece is all about.. n__n

Rebecca
12:28 PM
Anonymous said…
i suppose in the end the only thing you can do is laugh at yourself.

otherwise it can get scary.

i'm a poet, so i know what you mean. i like what Bono said:

"as a professional navel-gazer, i reccommend against that type of thing for anything but songwriting. we discover who we are in relation to helping others, not in relation to the self." [paraphrased].

i'm not sure if i agree with him on a philosophical level, but practically, it has saved my life.
4:42 PM
laurafee said…
thank you for your honesty, and truth. genuine and real people are hard to come by these days...
7:01 PM
Iyrah said…
very interesting... you should've used the letters to make a picture...

yeah... it was yet another reminder to me of how i am... paul said: we want to do good, and do what is right but our sinful natures get in the way. we dont want to do the wrong things that we do, but we have difficulty overcoming ourselves.
i'm just taking a guess that you wrote this out of frustration? you're in the spotlight, and it's hard to keep yourself gorunded. hey, i'm a nobody, and i do the same thing! but remember that God doesnt condemn, but chastises. gotta run!
10:24 PM
Anonymous said…
Yeah, maybe it is, but seriously, your blog has totally changed my perspective. i mean, i think this shows who you trully are ( or at least some of it, lol) i get what your saying though. does it get on your nerves?
10:28 PM
Anonymous said…
wow. all of you use big words. i wish i could come to use such rivetting undertones. (what does undertones mean??)
10:31 PM
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