Pond People vs. Fishbowl Folk

Are you a follower, or do you make your own path?

By Maggie Gusman

The goldfish is a cool little creature, isn't it? Not only does it make a cute and cuddly pet, but it knows how to adapt to its surroundings and never outgrow them. In some respects, people are just as adaptable as goldfish, but while we don't necessarily outgrow our physical environment, we can and do outgrow our psychological ones. If you consider the human environment, most everyone seems to fit into a couple of categories--as either Pond People or Fishbowl Folk.

Pond People are like the lone goldfish in a big pond--they are very comfortable with who they are, and can therefore look, think, and act any way they like. Pond People can be the source of ridicule among others for not being like everyone else, but they can also be a role model for girls who want to grow bigger and better as individuals. Society prefers to have a lot of fishbowls instead of a couple of ponds, though, so Pond People are kinda rare.

It is important to be able to step away from the crowd--too many girls hurt themselves physically and mentally by thinking that they have to be like everyone else.

Now Fishbowl Folk have a much tinier environment and therefore can't grow as much. Quite often, these girls are dependent on others to determine who they are, and they never make a decision without first carefully weighing how others might treat them--this way they have the security of knowing exactly what their limits are. From a goldfish's perspective, being one of the crowd probably isn't a big deal, but a goldfish will never have to deal with peer pressure or a poor self-image. You, however, probably will. That's why it is so important to be able to step away from the crowd--too many girls hurt themselves physically and mentally by thinking that they have to be like everyone else.