Do you ever get a song stuck in your head so bad that it feels like it’s on mental replay? Earworms can be a nightmare.
According to new research, Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI)—the technical term for an earworm—is a phenomenon experienced by more than 90% of people at least once a week.
I’ve found myself to be highly susceptible to earworms. Songs get stuck in my head all the time. Occasionally, however, I’ll come across a new song that I like so much that I welcome it becoming an earworm.
The latest inclusion in this category is Shinedown’s “A Symptom of Being Human.” The song is beautiful, both musically and lyrically. And it packs a powerful message.
“It’s a song about taking a breath and understanding we all are going to face obstacles in life, but you have to embrace the trials and tribulations,” Shinedown lead singer Brent Smith said in a recent interview with People.
Dealing with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can be overwhelming. Understanding that what you’re experiencing is common can be calming, if not empowering.
I like how Shinedown cleverly equates these uncomfortable feelings to “symptoms”—physical or mental indicators signaling the presence of a particular condition. Headaches, fatigue, and nausea are symptoms of the flu. Anyone who contracts the flu should expect to experience them.
Once you recognize the symptoms, the condition becomes more manageable.
Feeling slightly awkward, kinda’ weird, upside down and not all here…like you’re in a room where you don’t belong, and the house is on fire and there’s no alarm, and the walls are melting too are simply—as the song suggests—symptoms of being human.
The “Symptom of Being Human” lyrics got me thinking about symptoms of being a good teammate. What are some unpleasant symptoms that individuals who choose to be good teammates can expect to experience?
• Underappreciation. Good teammates regularly go above and beyond the call of duty. In fact, they do it so regularly that their doing so often goes unnoticed. They rarely receive the gratitude they deserve.
• Unrequited Kindness. Good teammates treat others kindly, but others don’t always treat them kindly. Lesser persons sometimes try to take advantage of their good nature.
• Inconvenience. Good teammates routinely have their lives disrupted. Others continually seem to need a favor or bailed out—and these opportunities inevitably present themselves at the most inopportune times.
• Sacrifice Remorse. Good teammates put the interests of their team ahead of their individual interests. Constantly making this sacrifice can leave them feeling temporarily regretful, especially when self-centered outsiders try to diminish the nobleness of their choice.
If you’re feeling underappreciated, experiencing unrequited kindness, inconvenience, or sacrifice remorse, remind yourself that you are, as the saying goes, doing it for the cause and not the applause. Take pride in this commitment being one of your defining characteristics.
And don’t worry, it’s all just a symptom of being a good teammate.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
By the way…
If someone you know is struggling with anxiety, depression, or maybe just having a bad day, sharing Shinedown’s “Symptom of Being Human” with them might be the good teammate move they need.
As Brent Smith told the audience before playing the song during a recent concert: “It’s OK to not have all the answers. It’s OK if you don’t feel OK…We’re all a work in progress. And sometimes it comes down to that. It’s just a symptom of being human.”
