You don't want to meet your Doppelgänger.

At least not according to German Folklore, where a Doppelgänger is your malevolent spirit double intent on seeing to your ruin.

In The Double, Fyodor Dostoyevsky writes of an unlucky man who crosses paths with his Doppelgänger. The man is driven mad by his Doppelgänger's tremendous success who has triumphed everywhere the man has failed.

Eventually, the Doppelgänger kills the man and exists in his place.

While creepy as hell, the German Folklore interpretation of a Doppelgänger fascinates me because it represents the dreams and aspirations we have for ourselves and how quickly those can morph into something that looks akin to a nightmare.

In On The Waterfront, Marlon Brando wrestles with his own Doppelgänger as he reflects on his career as a failed prize fighter, "I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody."

The only way you kill your Doppelgänger, is recognizing you were somebody before your dreams and that you will continue to be somebody after them; whether you're lucky enough to achieve them or not.