Musings

I watched Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant some time ago. One line from the movie stuck out to me.

*Spoiler warning. If you don't like spoilers, please watch the movie first before reading the following post*

Towards the end of the movie, the main character of the movie needs to drink blood to gain strength so he can fight the enemy. His interest, a monkey girl, offers him her blood for that very reason. However, he is reluctant to do so because he fears he will lose the last bit of him that is still human. Then, she says these words:

Being human is not about what you are, but who you are.

And it stuck with me. So often times, we have allowed ourselves to be defined by what we are. We make the circumstances that make us what we are, over shadow the who that we are. For example, what the the common replies that people say about themselves? One would be what they work as. It’s even in the sentence structure. The sentence would go “I am a doctor,” for example. Or “I am a teacher.” We have let the occupation, define the person. What we do, makes us who we are, and not who we are that makes us do what we do.

Another example. We have many stereotypes for people. We have the nerds, the sporty type, the outcasts, etc. Each, we let their habits or activities define who they are to us. If someone likes to study we label him or her as a nerd. Is someone is into sports we then label him as the jock. Then there’s the emo-s, the goths, and all the other labels we make. Defining people by what they are, and not who they are. Stereotyping.

Now, sometimes it seems just fine to do so. I mean, it helps us recognise people. We instantly recognise who the topic of conversation is when people mention their stereotypical characteristics. But if that’s all we see to them, then I think we’re losing out on getting to know some awesome people. People just don’t always are who they appear to be. What they are, isn’t who they are. Some people who seem all so cool and popular, may just be total jerks, or just not as fun as we think. And those who we think just couldn’t be fun and are just bland, may just be among the most fun and awesome people we could ever know. Or some who we think are just superficial and have no substance, may just be deep wells overflowing with insight and can have deep conversations with. Or the person who you thought you could never be friends with, then finding out they are among the best friends you could ever have. Are we forsaking getting to know people for who they are because of what we think they are?

Now let’s go deeper. On a deeper level, it is still true that being human is not just about being born a human. There are monsters in human skin. Just because you are a homo sapien, doesn’t mean you are a man (or woman). If you act like a total jerk, or an animal, or worst still a total whacko, you aren’t really human anymore. Where’s the traits like logic, compassion, love, that makes us human? We are human because we possess those. The ability to think above just the natural instincts to survive, to ponder the expanse of the universe, and the wonderful gift of life. The appreciation and awe for the beauty of creation and the creative spirit of man. The ability to feel, not just our own emotions, but also the emotions of others. To be a real community, that supports and encourages one another, who mourn and weep together, and congratulates and celebrates together. And above all, to realise and live out love, and to have a real relationship with one another and with our Creator. If we lose all that, are we still humans, even if we belong to the species?

So think about it. Are we really who we are, not letting the what take precedence over the who? Are we putting images over people that hide the real them from us? What does the quote speak to you about?

Being human is not about what you are, but who you are.

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