2ND_Quarter_Week 7_Discussion

 Answer the following in at least 5 sentences.

1. Why is the title called "Chameleon"?

               It is based on an animal that camouflages based on its environment. It changes color so that it will blend in and look invisible. Just like a chameleon, Cam (the girl in the video) also changes herself based on her boyfriend’s persona. It is not “camouflage” in the literal sense, but rather, it is more of a metaphor.

               Cam changes her personality and characteristics so she and her lover would look good together. This is so that the two of them would become what she called a perfect couple. Sadly, with her constant changing, it seems that Cam has lost her own colors. She has become invisible. Even her past lovers don't like her conformity as they broke up with her for this reason. She doesn't know that she is already enough.

2. Which specific instances in the video showed that Cam lost herself?

               Her first boyfriend was a varsity player. For them to look good together, Cam changed herself to become a cheerleader. With her second boyfriend being a gamer, she once again changed herself to become a gamer too. For her last boyfriend, who was a gothic musician, she turned gothic.

From her manner of speaking to her entire personality, Cam spared nothing of herself from the changes that she has gone through. She did everything to adapt and change for her past lovers that she lost her sense of self. Even when they order at Jollibee, Cam orders the same thing as her past lovers. In short, she has forsaken what she wants to focus on what she thinks that other people want.  

3. Why is it important to know yourself first? How does it affect your relationships with a) yourself; and b) others?

                Knowing myself will give me a good understanding of what I want to do with my life. This is important because this will serve as my motivation for living. By knowing my strengths and weaknesses, I will be able to make choices suitable for them. This can apply from short-term to long-term goals. Also, in knowing myself, I will have an in-depth perception of my own emotions.

                During the pandemic, I have undergone a series of self-reflections. . Giving myself the love that I was devoid of has been a game-changer for me. I was able to identify my weaknesses and address them accordingly. Also, I now have a good grasp of my own thoughts and emotions, which helped me know my preferences. Also, I have learned how much I had been hard on myself for the past 17 years. This was because, for the longest time, I thought that having high standards and expectations of myself should be the norm. In reality, I was only setting myself up for failure. I would beat myself up and call myself stupid even with the slightest mistake. Although I’m still in the process of getting over this, I’m glad that I identified this flaw before it messes my life up completely.  

                Now that I can empathize with myself, I can now empathize with people easily too. Knowing from my past mistakes of not showing affection to those dear to me, I now convey how much they mean to me. In turn, all the misunderstandings on how we feel about each other have been cleared up. The bonds that we have now have become more powerful than ever.

4. What are your important realizations/learnings from the video?

                From this video, I have learned that no one should change themselves for others. Everyone should know that they are enough. If someone wants to change, it should only be for themselves. If a person’s life is based on constant conformity, they will lose their sense of self.

Rather than focusing on what you think other people want, you should focus on what you want first. In doing so, you will have a good grasp of your strengths and weaknesses. With this, you’ll always have room for self-improvement.

Establishing a good connection with ourselves will also help us identify our goals in life. This is necessary so that our lives will have a direction that we can follow. By the time that we achieve those said goals, fulfillment and satisfaction will follow suit. With this, we can achieve true happiness.

Of course, the benefits of knowing yourself is not limited to this. In identifying your preferences, you can make bonds with people that have the same affinity as you. With this, you don’t have to associate yourself with people who drain you out. These said people are the ones you have to conform to so that your relationship with them will continue. In turn, your life will be filled with strong and healthy relationships that you are comfortable with.