Linkin Park-Numb

I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes

(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertone)

Every step that I take is another mistake to you

(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertone)

I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware

I'm becoming this all I want to do

Is be more like me and be less like you

Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control
Cause everything that you thought I would be

Has fallen apart right in front of you

(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertone)

Every step that I take is another mistake to you

(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertone)

And every second I waste is more than I can take

I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware

I'm becoming this all I want to do

Is be more like me and be less like you

And I know 
I may end up failing too
But I know
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you

I've become so numb I can't feel you there

Become so tired so much more aware

I'm becoming this all I want to do

Is be more like me and be less like you

I've become so numb I can't feel you there

I'm tired of being what you want me to be

I've become so numb I can't feel you there

I'm tired of being what you want me to be

Everyone has someone's expectations piled on them, be it a parent, a teacher, or themselves.  This is caused mostly by competition, peer pressure, and the struggle for a sense of belonging.  

For me, my sister was considered the genius in the family.  I remember how she was always playing games on the computer, but somehow always received A's in every single class she took.  And she took more AP classes than me (I'm taking five AP tests this year).  All of the parents knew her to be smart, polite, and overall a good girl with a rebellious younger sister.  Now, she's in UCSD for her fourth year, even though she could have graduated in three.  The only B she ever received was because she slept in and skipped classes too much.  

My mother says it'll be difficult to enter even UCSD with my grades.  Even though I know it's true, it still hurts.  It's not like I didn't put any effort into school (though I am somewhat of a gamer...)  I still study for tests and do my homework, but I haven't gotten straight A's since middle school.  My parents have basically given up on me, though they try to hide it by saying that there are plenty of colleges that will accept me based on my high SAT and AP scores.

Most people underestimate their own abilities. They tend to remember their failures more vividly than their successes, and for this reason they have unrealistically low expectations about what they are capable of. Those individuals who distinguish themselves through great accomplishments are usually no more talented than the average person: they simply set higher standards for themselves, since they have higher expectations about what they can do.

It reminds me of an essay prompt that I've been given before (the one posted below is different but similar enough): 

Assignment:

Do highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly because they expect more of themselves? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.


What do you think? Do high expectations allow people to soar higher and accomplish more, or is it a cause of a higher chance of depression?