Being “weird” is an age-old concept, and one that is often greeted with fear. The thought of being “weird” is scary. If someone is weird, they are odd; they don’t fit in. I personally have been called weird numerous times in my life, an experience which has proven helpful. Occasionally, it prompted change in my life, and other times I simply ignored it and moved on. The concept of being “normal” oftentimes represents conforming to the accepted values of society and disregarding your own. Both conformity and nonconformity influence your viewpoint and personality, thus necessitating a need for a balance of conformity and nonconformity, as I, myself, have experienced.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a renowned 19th century American intellectual, disagrees …show more content…
When I first began to bike, at the age of four, I lived in a “closed-world.” My perception of emotions, work and general awareness of the world was significantly limited. I was a clueless four-year old (although, some might say I’m still clueless). Biking changed my life by exposing me to two distinct and invaluable characteristics: success and hardwork. When I was struggling through the alley, I was single-minded in my focus, but did not understand what it is like to earn something through work. The feeling of success, especially after arduous labor is phenomenal, and a feeling that I first felt after learning to bike. As Emerson says in “Self-Reliance,” “A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best.” The feeling and my exposure to it changed my perspectives, for life. Afterwards, I viewed the world with a greater respect. I respected that anything, even something as simple as biking, demanded hard …show more content…
Albans I was resistant to speaking, or even understanding, the slang. I thought the St. Albans slang would be ephemeral; it would die quickly. Thus, using classic freshmen logic, I decided not to learn it. But as the months passed, and December rolled around, I began to ruin my status as a fluent English speaker in favor of St. Albans slang. STA slang, and my begrudging acceptance of it, has affected me and my perspectives. The jargon has forced me to communicate and speak in a new language. By accepting the St. Albans lingo, I had forced myself into a new situation, and developed a new frame of reference as a result. I developed an awareness of both language and its power, and improved social perspective. I am a monolinguist, and because of my ignorance, did not appreciate the puissance of language as many polyglots would. I failed to appreciate the versatility of language. Language is immensely powerful; it is used to convey immense amounts of information in a relatively standardized but still versatile way. My recognition of this sheer awesomeness and depth has broadened my view of the world. I began, after extensive exposure, to appreciate the depth, complexity and versatility of all languages, not just the St. Albans one. My experience conforming to the STA slang has allowed me to develop a new (and improved) view of language, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. However, the St. Albans slang, has also affected my social
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a renowned 19th century American intellectual, disagrees …show more content…
When I first began to bike, at the age of four, I lived in a “closed-world.” My perception of emotions, work and general awareness of the world was significantly limited. I was a clueless four-year old (although, some might say I’m still clueless). Biking changed my life by exposing me to two distinct and invaluable characteristics: success and hardwork. When I was struggling through the alley, I was single-minded in my focus, but did not understand what it is like to earn something through work. The feeling of success, especially after arduous labor is phenomenal, and a feeling that I first felt after learning to bike. As Emerson says in “Self-Reliance,” “A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best.” The feeling and my exposure to it changed my perspectives, for life. Afterwards, I viewed the world with a greater respect. I respected that anything, even something as simple as biking, demanded hard …show more content…
Albans I was resistant to speaking, or even understanding, the slang. I thought the St. Albans slang would be ephemeral; it would die quickly. Thus, using classic freshmen logic, I decided not to learn it. But as the months passed, and December rolled around, I began to ruin my status as a fluent English speaker in favor of St. Albans slang. STA slang, and my begrudging acceptance of it, has affected me and my perspectives. The jargon has forced me to communicate and speak in a new language. By accepting the St. Albans lingo, I had forced myself into a new situation, and developed a new frame of reference as a result. I developed an awareness of both language and its power, and improved social perspective. I am a monolinguist, and because of my ignorance, did not appreciate the puissance of language as many polyglots would. I failed to appreciate the versatility of language. Language is immensely powerful; it is used to convey immense amounts of information in a relatively standardized but still versatile way. My recognition of this sheer awesomeness and depth has broadened my view of the world. I began, after extensive exposure, to appreciate the depth, complexity and versatility of all languages, not just the St. Albans one. My experience conforming to the STA slang has allowed me to develop a new (and improved) view of language, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. However, the St. Albans slang, has also affected my social