When I was younger, I considered “weird” the greatest compliment anyone could receive. The word's connotation may seem negative to some, but I believed it emulated only positive attributes. I believed being weird meant being different, unique, and even exciting. I considered "weirdness" one of my greatest qualities, and this self-proclaimed title defined who I was. I was weird, and I was proud.
That is, until middle school – also known as the leading cause of pre-pubescent girl’s self-consciousness. When the boy I thought I loved used “you’re just too…weird” as reasoning why he could never like me back, I felt my entire existence was questioned. The word I once loved now sounded like an insult. Those four words validated, rather embarrassingly, that I wasn’t just weird. I was flawed. “Different” was fine to me; however, “flawed” was something else entirely. I was unwittingly pushed from the protection of childhood innocence into the inescapable truth of self-awareness. From that instance on, I chose to put a cap on my quirky personality. In middle school, I was quickly taught that being different …show more content…
My peers were gradually forming their own identity and becoming their own person. Rather than continue with this unhealthy practice of self-loathing. I learned to embrace the qualities I possessed. Ironically, the more I embraced my unique qualities and loved myself, the more others responded with appreciation as well. The more outgoing and funny I was, the more people seemed to reciprocate and tell me that they enjoyed that I was confident enough to truly be myself. I eventually came to the realization: everyone is weird. Most of us are, most of us pretend not to be. Many individuals have become professionals at hiding their bizarre side and putting on what they deem as a socially acceptable facade. As Alain de Botton said, “there's a whole category of people who miss out by not allowing themselves to be weird
That is, until middle school – also known as the leading cause of pre-pubescent girl’s self-consciousness. When the boy I thought I loved used “you’re just too…weird” as reasoning why he could never like me back, I felt my entire existence was questioned. The word I once loved now sounded like an insult. Those four words validated, rather embarrassingly, that I wasn’t just weird. I was flawed. “Different” was fine to me; however, “flawed” was something else entirely. I was unwittingly pushed from the protection of childhood innocence into the inescapable truth of self-awareness. From that instance on, I chose to put a cap on my quirky personality. In middle school, I was quickly taught that being different …show more content…
My peers were gradually forming their own identity and becoming their own person. Rather than continue with this unhealthy practice of self-loathing. I learned to embrace the qualities I possessed. Ironically, the more I embraced my unique qualities and loved myself, the more others responded with appreciation as well. The more outgoing and funny I was, the more people seemed to reciprocate and tell me that they enjoyed that I was confident enough to truly be myself. I eventually came to the realization: everyone is weird. Most of us are, most of us pretend not to be. Many individuals have become professionals at hiding their bizarre side and putting on what they deem as a socially acceptable facade. As Alain de Botton said, “there's a whole category of people who miss out by not allowing themselves to be weird