Lady Gaga's "born this way"

[pinkputter]

Wanted to post on here about this song because, when it comes to social anxiety, I DON'T think we were "born this way" Don't buy into the message of this song b/c it's just simply not true. Anxiety is something you shouldn't accept.

I do like the beat of the song, but just thought I'd throw that out there.

Thoughts?

 

[deleted user 1]

How you think about yourself and others is behaviourally conditioned. You cannot be born with these things. It would be like saying we are like computers, pre-loaded with Vista XD. I cannot for one second believe that.

 

[MsBuzzkillington]

I read through the lyrics of this song online. To be honest I only got about halfway through.

The message is to love yourself for who you are. Because you are a great person. It's saying to love yourself despite your flaws. Like maybe you don't have a perfect body or perfect teeth, but you're still beautiful.

You are NOT anxiety. Anxiety is NOT you.

Anxiety comes from insecurities, worries, regret, etc... which would be very minimal (at least very manageable) if you had a lot of confidence and loved yourself.

This song has a good message.

 

[PhillyFlyersGrl]

I love Lady gaga!! She's the only pop artist right now that I like. Anyway no I don't think were born this way. When I was little I was sometimes shy but mostly outgoing, made friends easily etc. When I hit 16-17yrs everything started changing.

 

[pinkputter]

How you think about yourself and others is behaviourally conditioned. You cannot be born with these things. It would be like saying we are like computers, pre-loaded with Vista XD. I cannot for one second believe that.

ahhh the old nature vs. nurture argument. I've studied this in school, and I have to say it's not ENTIRELY how we are conditioned. We are born with certain characteristics, and what happens to us in life, or more accurately our choices determine whether those characteristics stay, and flourish, or perhaps become dysfunctional in some cases.

that's my opinion, but i'm also in good company that it's a combination of both.

I appreciate everyone's opinion on this, I do like the song, and I do like Lady Gaga. Just wanted to point out we weren't "born" with our anxiety

 

[deleted user 1]

ahhh the old nature vs. nurture argument. I've studied this in school, and I have to say it's not ENTIRELY how we are conditioned. We are born with certain characteristics, and what happens to us in life, or more accurately our choices determine whether those characteristics stay, and flourish, or perhaps become dysfunctional in some cases.

that's my opinion, but i'm also in good company that it's a combination of both.

I appreciate everyone's opinion on this, I do like the song, and I do like Lady Gaga. Just wanted to point out we weren't "born" with our anxiety

We are born with traits that make us human. That is genetic fact, but there are external factors that affect how our genes are expressed. Not everything is written like a script in your genetic code. Your behaviour is to an enormous extent developed from experience. Proof of this is children who were raised by animals! Even incuring physical changes that were more akin to the animals raising them.

 

[NathanielWingatePeaslee]

It's just a song and should not be looked into very deeply.

Try telling someone whose baby has Tay-Sachs disease or Harlequin syndrome that they were born a superstar or that God makes no mistakes.

 

[thor01]

I love Lady gaga!! She's the only pop artist right now that I like. Anyway no I don't think were born this way. When I was little I was sometimes shy but mostly outgoing, made friends easily etc. When I hit 16-17yrs everything started changing.

Me too! I do think shes the best out there, in the mainstream. Although I was actually a little dissapointed by this particular song. I agree it has a good message in the way others have pointed out, not in a literal sense, as others have also pointed out relating to something such as anxiety, and not being born that way. But yeah the song overall just didn't grab me as much as some others she has done. it also sounds a bit too similar to an older Madonna song. One in particular but I can't remember the name.

 

[PhillyFlyersGrl]

Me too! I do think shes the best out there, in the mainstream. Although I was actually a little dissapointed by this particular song. I agree it has a good message in the way others have pointed out, not in a literal sense, as others have also pointed out relating to something such as anxiety, and not being born that way. But yeah the song overall just didn't grab me as much as some others she has done. it also sounds a bit too similar to an older Madonna song. One in particular but I can't remember the name.

"Express yourself" is the song people say it sounds like.
But if you think about it pop stars in particular tend to copy things, sometimes not realizing their doing it....

 

[pinkputter]

Your behaviour is to an enormous extent developed from experience. Proof of this is children who were raised by animals! Even incuring physical changes that were more akin to the animals raising them.

I have to disagree. I explained to you that I take experiences into account but that's not the ONLY factor. That's just faulty logic. I'm not familiar with that study and I would have to take a look at the factors going into that case and their outcomes. But while we're on the topic of animals, explain to me why certain breeds of dogs are SO predictable in their traits that you know nearly all chihuahuas are high-strung, poodles have high intelligence, etc. And sure you can TRAIN any dog to be a certain way (in comes the nurture).. but as far as predictions go, those labels stick with those breeds.

I really believe in the quote "what lies behind us, and what lies in front of us are tiny matters as compared to what lies within us."

The world doesn't make you who you are. You do.

 

[Sinar_Matahari]

It's just a song and should not be looked into very deeply.

Try telling someone whose baby has Tay-Sachs disease or Harlequin syndrome that they were born a superstar or that God makes no mistakes.

I adore Lady Gaga, and I can appreciate the message she's trying to send, but I doubt she had these people in mind when she wrote the lyrics to this song. I had similar thoughts when I read the lyrics.

 

[Pookah]

There is compelling scientific evidence which supports the idea that mental illness, SA included, has genetic factors. So it is possible you were born this way.

 

[Sinar_Matahari]

NWP, I am angry at myself for having read those wikipedia articles. I read the Harlequin Syndrome article and I thank God that I gave birth to a healthy child. I couldn't bring myself to read all of it. I had to stop reading the Tay-Sachs article as well before my whole night is ruined.

 

[pinkputter]

I adore Lady Gaga, and I can appreciate the message she's trying to send, but I doubt she had these people in mind when she wrote the lyrics to this song. I had similar thoughts when I read the lyrics.

No, I'm sure she didn't. (i agree with you)But the people who said that's not the meaning ARE correct...she wants everyone to love themselves for who they are and its undoubtedly channeling some gay rights messages as well. My point is, the song means whatever meaning YOU give to it, I just didn't want some one on this forum to interperut it that way, though I feel like some will regardless. I feel like a lot of the negative posts on this forum stem from, "oh dear god, you cursed me with these genes and I'm just born this way and I can't ever change." and my answer to that is, no, you shouldn't limit yourself, you can be whoever you want to be.

 

[pinkputter]

There is compelling scientific evidence which supports the idea that mental illness, SA included, has genetic factors. So it is possible you were born this way.

Oh.. what a great, blanket statement.

 

[pinkputter]

NWP, I am angry at myself for having read those wikipedia articles. I read the Harlequin Syndrome article and I thank God that I gave birth to a healthy child. I couldn't bring myself to read all of it. I had to stop reading the Tay-Sachs article as well before my whole night is ruined.

what articles are you referring to?

 

[Noop]

the real issue is that lady 2 job bob is cack! just like all these 10 a penny "superstars and icons" please... pop music in general is like listening to a cat being put thru' a belt sander.

lord!

no ones really born bad or good, you grow to mistrust the people over many years.

 

[Pookah]

Oh.. what a great, blanket statement.

Did you want me to link specific scientific articles/journals that link social anxiety to chemical imbalances of the brain etc that are inherited? Are you denying the biological causes?

 

[NathanielWingatePeaslee]

NWP, I am angry at myself for having read those wikipedia articles. I read the Harlequin Syndrome article and I thank God that I gave birth to a healthy child. I couldn't bring myself to read all of it. I had to stop reading the Tay-Sachs article as well before my whole night is ruined.

Sorry about that. I took some classes once for a certification in cytogenetics and learned the horrific details of a large number of genetic defects and abnormalities. So many brief, utterly doomed lives of pure misery. ::

 

[Sinar_Matahari]

Sorry about that. I took some classes once for a certification in cytogenetics and learned the horrific details of a large number of genetic defects and abnormalities. So many brief, utterly doomed lives of pure misery. ::

I think that whenever I start to feel sorry for myself, I'm going to read over that article and feel like a ridiculous ******* for thinking that I have it bad. I can imagine how heartbreaking it must be for the parents...