The Essence of Yourself

"YOU'RE ALWAYS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING IN PERSON BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE THE EDITED ESSENCE OF YOURSELF."

--MEL BROOKS


hmmm... What exactly would be an edited essence of oneself? Had to think about that for a bit. Is it that version of each of us that is most authentic? Or, would that be the UNEDITED version of who we are? I believe he means that in person, we are unable to rid ourselves of the errors, prejudices and stupidities that can give people the wrong impression of who we are. Although, how can you "be" anything with someone, if you have never met them in person before? How does anyone know anything about you if they've never met you before? Through what they read? Through what others say about you? I suppose the best example of this would be celebrities. Do we really KNOW them?

We know a little bit, about PART of them...and that's IF the information we have is even true. This absolutely is "edited" (whether for good or bad), but I don't know if it is the "essence" of that person. It would seem to me that the only way to get the REAL essence of someone would be to know them personally. But maybe, this us what Brooks means... The REAL essence of someone can be a let down in comparison to the way someone builds a person up in their mind...the way they imagine them to be.

Mel Brooks is best known as a director of screwball comedy, such as "History of the World," "Space Balls, " and "Young Frankenstein.". He was married to actress Anne Bancroft, and this is quite a serious quote from a man known for being so funny.