Is it better to stand out and be seen or to blend in and remain invisible? As with so many life questions, the answer to my simple query is complicated and depends on your personality, priorities, and perspectives.
The male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) takes a bold approach—with his brilliant red plumage, it is almost impossible for him to hide. He want to be seen and often perches in the open. Perhaps that helps him to attract a mate, but does it also make him more visible to those that could do him harm? Is there a risk associated with being bold?
The sparrow in the second image, which I think is a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), takes an almost opposite approach—you almost can’t see it, especially when it is buried in the underbrush. Its nondescript coloration allows it to blend in? Does this bird feel more vulnerable? Is self-protection its primary motivation? Must it rely on non-visual factors, like its singing, to stand out?
What about you? How do you live your life? For most of my life, I have tended to favor conformity and security—I lived like the sparrow, fearful of standing out. Over the last decade of so, however, I have increasingly decided that the opinions of others don’t matter much anymore. I am now striving to live my life in an unapologetically authentic way and I am much more willing to put myself out there as visibly as the male cardinal.
Be bold today and be yourself. As the old proverb says, “you might as well be yourself—everyone else is already taken.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Wonderful photos Mike and I love the old proverb! Shared a link on twitter.
Thanks, Liz, for both the comments and the share on Twitter. 🙂
Love this! We had several cardinals at our feeder yesterday and you’re right that the males can’t hide. I’d consider myself a sparrow with the odd flash of cardinal. LOL
Thanks, Michelle. From your description, it sounds like you are a perfect female cardinal–not quite as showy as a male cardinal, but just as beautiful, with touches of bright red in moderation. 🙂
My favorite bird,…and a beautiful post, Mike! Love it!
Thanks. Cardinals have always been one of my favorites too.
You’re welcome!
Beautiful.
Thanks, Tricia.
Thanks for the early morning reflection, Mike.
Thanks. I kind went off on a tangent when I started writing today’s posting, but I like the way that it ended up.
Beautiful bird and a post making me reflect… I must admit I like to stand out but at a distance if that makes any sense!
Thanks, Chris. I sometimes go off on philosophical tangents in my posts–my mind seems to be in constant motion much of the time. Your choice of lifestyle definitely makes you stand out, but not in a way that flaunts it or over-glorifies it. You definitely present a balanced view of the challenges as well as the benefits of life at sea. I don’t if that is what you meant when you said that you like to stand out at a distance, but that is what came to mind when I read your comment.
Here’s to the cardinal way of living! 🙂
Amen!!
Good for you Mike! I always figured I can try and be someone else, and some will like me and some won’t. Or I can be myself and some will like me and some won’t. Might as well be myself! I enjoy your blog. Thank you. – Cindy
Thanks so much, Cindy. There is a huge amount of pressure in social media and elsewhere for us to pretend to be someone who we are not and to envy those who are better looking or have more stuff or seem to have more exciting lives. I like the way that you stated it, because no matter what we do, some will like us and some won’t. It seems to me that true friends are those who know me for who I truly am and still like me–they are most likely to stick around in bad times as well as in good times.
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