1. Surround yourself with people whom you love and who love you unconditionally. I was on my brother’s computer this weekend, configuring our iTunes libraries. My brother has had his computer for a couple of weeks, but already it is full of pictures of people who are important to him. The screen saver, the wallpaper, any picture icon – it’s all of people whom he cares about. I have had my computer for over three years, and I have never personalized anything with my friends and family.
I think that’s why if I don’t see my family for a while, I get really tired and start avoiding people. I don’t constantly recharge my battery by reminding myself that there are people in the world who will care about me even if I decide to start living in a sewer. My brother is good about that.
2. The only people’s opinions who are important are the those that you decide are important. My brother does not care if you dislike him. Because he doesn’t know you. It’s so incredibly simple and relieves so much stress.
I am constantly trying to maximize who likes me. I don’t post anything on this blog that’s too controversial because I want people to think I’m an alright guy. I have full faith that if my brother was of the blogging variety, his blog would be one of the most conversation-generating on the internet. Because he wouldn’t be afraid to post something that was unpopular.
3. Never like anything you don’t like. A lot of my friends at school are horrible about this. They have things they actually like and things they ironically like. This concept is foreign to my brother. If he likes something, he likes it. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t.
My brother also refuses to “like” things he’s “supposed” to. I am constantly trying to make myself like classics, whether in literature, film, or music. And this is just so that I can seem cultured. How self-serving. My brother is better than that.
I promise that I will stop with the mushy brother posts for a while.
Spencer J Smith 
Reblogged this on Spencer Writes and commented:
My blog (before the brand new post I’ve promised) is getting the equivalent of Friday Favorite. Except now it is Saturday Survivor which is stuff that helped out in my recovery and stuff I liked reading.
I appreciate your comments about your brother and how you differ. I too find myself trying to please or fit the mod of other people. Do you think it’s birth order? I also am the oldest of my family of 5 siblings.
I am the oldest. I’m not sure any of the differences between my brother and me are due to birth order. Maybe since birth, I’ve been treated as an only child (before my brother) and was used to receiving love directly. I’ve gotten more leadership skills (maybe because my parents give me specific instructions sometimes).