(__________)-Like.

hyphennoun [ C ] 

US ​ /ˈhɑɪ·fən/

​

the mark (-) used in writing to join two words together, or between the syllables of a word when it is divided at the end of a line of text

An amateur writer with so much to learn. So many aspects of writing, of speech, that I am so enamored with that I just want to use them all the time. The hyphen (-) for instance, a continuation of the previous word or thought. To be, like something, the same as something-like. 

In the words of Plato:

If I put a quote and a picture, am I too considered wise? 

"Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." 

Too easy is it these days to simply say something for a large group of people. Too simple is the task to  present behind a keyboard and a screen, when at one time, what we said online would have had us all condemned or persecuted by others. We are too easy to cast judgment and discount people with our words, thus making us, ignorant-like. 

I mean, we do not want to say we are just ignorant in doing these things do we? Nobody wants to humble themselves and admit that when we slander, put down, discount another for any reason, compare with intent to, "win," no matter how subtle, that we are ignorant-like. Rather, we want to be wise, prestigious, dare I say it, Christ-like. When we engage in such demolishing conversations, no matter if it is gossip at work, arguments at home, berating our children, talking with foul language to sound mature, we are removing the -like from a noble association and placing an ignorant word in front. 

"No, no, no, not me, I am not that bad," says our egos. We are not going to reconstruct from the foundation up who we are, because we don't have to, things are OK and I do good things. Already, when we have to actively remind ourselves of what others do as a set point, typically the worst can come to mind, and then remind ourselves of what we did, ignorant to the motive and seeing just the act, we are already failures. A wise person does not need to hold on to ammo of reminders of what he has done. A Christ-like person does not need to remind themselves of the worst in the world to boost themselves either. 

A price was paid for us to slander one another,
reinforce egotistical, evil ways,
to distance ourselves from humility,
or love? 

When we find ourselves reaching for reminders of good in us or the bad in others, the real thought to notice is, "Why are we reaching?" Does a man not pull a gun with intent to shoot? Does a chef not pull out a knife with intent to cut the tomato? If we do something, it was our intent to save ourselves in some way, to prevent the ego from being demon-like. 

Yet, with all of this, approval of other men who we call to our memories as worse than ourselves, the followers we would never actually follow in real life. The advice we gawk at in absurdity. We promote our own demise with the depictions on screen, interactions in real life, and what we choose to invest time in to see grow. 

We are on speck, yet we consider ourselves so important. 

When we use a (-) to attach to something, there are powerful indicators that make these two concepts one. If I am a man, and I want to be more efficient in my quest to promote the love in people, then I am doing something, Christ-like. However, I am far from him as a man, but the connection, in that moment of action, with an intent to promote love of others, I can be considered following Christ's example and his commands. We could also do the very same action with selfish approval from other men, whom we deemed worse than ourselves, and be just another man; a fallen, ignorant creature of great sickness and confusion. 

But, nobody wants to admit that, the ego won't allow it. Instead, we continue to surround ourselves with people worse than we are, judge others harsher than we judge ourselves, and continue to rot away inside our own shell of egotistical behaviors. We all fail, we all stumble, I am not saying "you" on anything, and I can only wrote these words because I know they apply to me, so in the end, we have to accept the pain, deal with the failure, and humble ourselves in accepting knowledge of what to do if we want to be more (______)-like in the future. 

Castle-Broken: When appearances are everything discusses my failures as a man, my desire to be loved at the cost of the gifts God gave me, and what I saw in others that sparked me to write about body image disorders in men. Click Here. 

God Bless.