“Never change who you are for a man. Or a woman. Or anyone, really.”
Okay sure but one situationship with a hiker/backpacker guy like six years ago resulted in a closet full of backpacking gear and a lot of unforgettable adventures, even after my connection with that person had died. I spent a lot of time hanging out with a dungeons and dragons player who made characters for fun in his free time and I never used to think that was something I would enjoy but I am now making a characters for a tabletop role playing game, for fun. Same with first person shooter games. We don’t talk anymore. My husband is a philosopher and the way he thinks and talks through questions has permanently changed the way I think. My friends who are dyed in the wool gamers will spend hours talking about the plot of their favorite video games if you let them and this is the reason I am willing to try games I never thought I’d be interested in trying. This month I have picked up a guitar and played music more often than I have in years because a friend is trying to start a band. I only ever smoke when I’m with people for whom that is a favorite activity. My favorite books are almost exclusively from recommendations from other people. And this isn’t from a place of “oh I am pretending to like the things you like in order to impress you so you will like me.” It’s like – you seem cool, the things you care about seem cool, you caring about the things you like makes the things you like seem cool, therefore I will try them. Something something permeability of the soul.
I don’t know. I’m all for letting other people change you. At least some.