Human beings are naturally communicative. Be it through liking someone's photo on instagram, talking to other people, or emitting specific body language, we are always sending signals to one another. We find ourselves talking about the weather, politics, celebrity gossip, and other things that the general population can share a common understanding. Although we primarily view communication was a method of relating to others, it is also used as a way to relate to ourselves. As defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, self expression is “the expression of one’s own personality”, or “assertion of one’s individual traits”. Self expression can manifest itself in various ways. I recently asked my instagram followers about their favorite way to express themselves. Many people mentioned creative outlets such as painting or drawing, taking photos, fashion, making music, cracking jokes to provoke laughter, getting tattoos, dancing, and baking. In observing these responses, I noticed one common theme: all of the mentioned self-expressive platforms are rooted in at least one of the five senses. Human beings create individual interpretations of reality based off of the information we gather through seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. This goes back to our primal method of survival, in which these five senses invoked strong emotions within ourselves that were then used to as factors for deciphering whether or not specific circumstances were safe.Taking these biological factors into consideration, self expression can be interpreted as the assertion of our personal perceptions of what makes up our own individual realities. Why is this important to know? Self expression is an amazing way to communicate inner feelings or traits that lead to a sense of individuality. Understanding our primal need for these types of sensory tools can help create a greater awareness of the importance of self expression in society. Without it, we are prone to falling into a pattern of doing without questioning. This type of passive lifestyle is dangerous, for, without questioning our current state of being, there are no opportunities to learn from our mistakes and develop both as individuals and a humanistic whole. It is vital that we make self expression a priority in our daily lives, for it not only plays and important role in our ability to grow as a human race, but also fosters confidence, self understanding, and personal development, which can lead to a much stronger love for oneself. The next time you feel depleted from the daily rise and grind of school, work, and the like, take a moment to express yourself. Isn't the end goal to love ourselves and find happiness, anyways?