Be Weird, I Dare You

Some are born weird, some achieve it, others have weirdness thrust upon them. - Dick Francis

Weird. Most of us are, most of us pretend not to be. I was considered a bit of a weirdo my entire life - I avoid eating bread, sugar and meat, I don't watch TV, I still listen to heavy metal music and I would always choose a long walk in nature or city streets over the night at loud, popular club. Still, if someone called me weird 5 or 10 years ago, I would most likely get offended. But what does being weird even mean? Not watching TV, not wearing the same socially standard clothes, listening to alternative music or being an artist? Or simply not having the same opinion as everyone else.

If you search for the word in dictionary, it is described as something supernatural, unearthly or mysterious. Now with that in mind I would certainly prefer to be called weird rather than normal. Weird people are not afraid of going against the social expectations. They are original, authentic and free to express their true selves. Their weirdness is side effect of being awesome. Everyone is different and unique and if we all show our true colors and say our own opinions, would everyone be called weird?

Accepting and owning my weirdness changed my entire life. I just stopped trying to fit in and started being myself. There's no one out there that is gonna be better you than you. And if you try to be someone else, that cool guy from your office or that charismatic Steemit author that everyone loves, people will see right through it and you'll end up seeming pretty boring.

In the past decades or even centuries being socially accepted was something everyone was striving for. And the best way to achieve it was by conforming to the mass and seeming normal. But now, with the rise of internet, everyone can find a way to express themselves and reach the designated audience (I guess Steemit is the perfect example). To marketers, the more people fall under the general definition of mass, the more money they make. Instead of having a choice, market is guided by social pressure. But as Seth Godin suggests in his book We are all weird, we are about to see the end of mass production, mass marketing and even mass education and the opportunity it represents for everyone.

So, back to the topic, what's wrong with being weird anyway? Weird people have much more fun than the "normal" ones. If you are authentic and you don't care about what others think of you, you can get away with pretty much anything - you can dance funny, you can laugh at random things and keep everyone around you entertained, you can be creative and think outside the box, you can make risky moves and choices. You'll be more memorable than everyone else. A limited edition. The black swan.

Once everyone sees that you own your weirdness and don't care about what anybody says, they'll come to you asking for advise.

Just remember that there s no such thing as "normal" - we are all weird, and it's up to us to embrace it. The world needs more authenticity, anyway.

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Images 1, 2

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