The paradox that is High school, life, You

Don't you think it's a bit ironic when you spend your life finding out who your are, who your friends are, what you like, and even with no doubt what you hate then everything changes without you knowing. The things you were against you now accept even embrace and you wonder how this could have possibly happened when you thought your mind was set and you come to the realization...HIGH SCHOOL.
High school should be like a crucible. It melts away everything else til whats left is the core, what you're really made of. Instead it's a place where things get added on with layers and layers til you wouldn't know where to start to find the core. Rather than finding yourself you fight more trying not to backslide and become lost.
Can anybody really say "This is me" or are we blinded by the allusion of what people think we should be or what we changed into. The type of people you hate are now the ones who surround you. Most did not start out that way but now have morphed into what they think is a better person but when you think about it they used to talk about how they didn't understand the people they are now imitating. You find yourself doing things that are against your belief just because your friends are. High school is a non stop paradox.
I wouldn't know what i measure my life in because as far as I'm concerned who knows if its real. But i guess i would say i measure my life in my morals, goals, and the things that make me who I am.
"I tried to be who you wanted me to be, tried to say the things i knew you wanted to hear but when i opened my mouth i came to find that it's hard to find the words to say when they contradict with the thoughts in my mind."