Journal 21

This quote basically tells me that one should not rely on others to set a standard for one's self. I think that it means to not compare yourself to someone else, and instead create your own view and standards. I also believe that it is saying that this insight comes with time. As you grow you start to understand how other people do not matter as much as it seems when you are young.
So if you really think about it, we could either go our whole lives listening to what others say or following what it common to believe, or we could go by what we really think. We could think for ourselves instead of basing our actions on the opinions of our peers. When we decide to stop worrying about these ideas, we decide to take control of our lives. You should never let someone else influence what you believe or your opinion. Sure, it is good to take other people's thoughts into consideration, but when it all comes down to it, you are ultimately the only one who knows yourself.
When you are young, your parents or the people who watch over you are really the ones who make you who you are. The habits and mentalities we gain while we are just babies can be seen much later in a person's life. As a child, you're vulnerable to whatever the people around you do or say. Although these are large parts of a person's character, as they get older, people should be confident in themselves and make their own choices as to who they want to be. This can be difficult at times because we honestly do not have much control over our lives until we get out into the world on our own. Until we at least get to college, we have to live by what our parents say. Once we get to that point, we have to be independent.