Project Me
Is life actually a journey all about me, myself, and I, or is there something more to it? We never bother to double-question our motives and inner drive. Nevertheless, putting a couple of fancy questions in your life caption would be notoriously beneficial, and here is why.
Carrie Bradshaw’s little grey dress in season 2, episode 15 of Sex and the City. shutterstock. Via British Vogue
It's just me, myself, and I, and nobody can stop me, or can they actually? As Carrie Bradshaw put it, "The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself." We all know that life seems to be a roller coaster, and running up that hill can be devastating. If one asked me to write how I viewed my life during high school, I would simply put it into a four-word scheme: university -> work -> money -> fame. Yep, that's it, you all heard her. And I'm not gonna lie, I cannot blame myself. To tell you the truth, we all had this plan in our heads (which does not make it any better, though). The question is, if not this plan, what other plans do we really have for this project thing called life?
As someone doing a degree in sociology, one of the most useful and, at the same time, useless of the sciences out there, I clearly can give a bit of a blurry answer to that matter. And no worries, all answers given by sociology are blurry (they all have their coefficient for failure). Have you ever heard about the concept called "entrepreneurial self"? It's a notion where individuals treat themselves as commodities, marketed and sold in the life marketplace. Sounds sad and bureaucratic, doesn't it? Under this paradigm, each person is considered a brand under market scrutiny. One must constantly promote and develop the concept of their identity: fresh, commercially attractive, neoliberal, and tailored to the market demand. And to finish, here is a citation straight from my beloved sociology book: "The self has become a project each individual must constantly work on—and not just at work... individuals constantly engage in behaviors where creating and continually improving an 'entrepreneurial self' is the goal." (Mumby & Kuhn, 2018, p.153).
Now, wait a minute. Doesn't my gorgeous high school plan perfectly align with this theoretical definition? But how could it be? Well, here we will call it "Project Me," and we all have faced its shadow in our lives. Consider how we navigate our daily routines and long-term goals. The "entrepreneurial self" isn't just a lofty academic concept. It's deeply embedded in how we approach our careers, relationships, and personal growth. Stay with me to explore some everyday scenarios where this notion comes to life.
From the very first step out of school into the university realm, we meticulously work on our market worth. We constantly update our LinkedIn profile, take a multiplicity of free internships, attend job fairs, and pay a monthly subscription to that cute website to seek out unique job opportunities. Each of our actions is directly linked to marketing ourselves in this bustling job market.
Moving on to our Instagram pages, our social media aren't there just for "bread and circuses." It also exists for connecting or, more precisely—networking. Even the overall trend of turning your private account into a business one to name yourself as a particular "enterprise" sounds quite sarcastic at this point. We carefully select the images and stories we share, projecting a polished version of our lives that aligns with the branding image created in our heads.
Even the sanctuary of the sanctuary, personal relationships, can fall under the gross and eerie shadow of “Project Me” tenets. We all have been there, trying to find the perfect first words to introduce ourselves, thinking about what to wear and which facts to share during the first date. The pressure to present an attractive, successful version of ourselves can extend to our personal relationships. We might feel compelled to showcase our achievements and downplay our struggles, repeating the cycle of constant self-promotion and losing the connection with the inner self.
And what to do in this world of broken mirrors? Well, my beloved reader, the reality isn't indeed as dark as one may imply. First of all, as a fellow sociologist, I can confirm that nothing pure truly exists, especially in the realm of society. Secondly, as the classics follow—just do it. By recognizing these patterns, we can question the underlying motives and pressures that drive our “four-word plans.” Is it possible to balance developing our "entrepreneurial self" and staying true to our authentic selves? Can we redefine success by prioritizing well-being and genuine connections over unstoppable self-optimization? For sure it isn't easy to answer that question. But the thing is, you don't always have to know where the answer lies. It's sometimes better to see the cause.
