You never ever break character.

Barring a blessed few, every human on this planet (or at least the ones who admit it) have either been burned or succumbed to peer pressure. Struggled to fit into their circle and hence have eventually longed for social acceptance. The only difference is they’ve now been rechristened as YOLO, FOMO and Snapchat filters. I guess they seem easier to tackle if there’s a tongue sticking out of the problem’s mouth.
Look at it this way.
The life we lead is a game, with just a single level. But, they have the obstacles worth a hundred. We are its characters. Each of us has a role to play. Each of our roles has certain traits. But in this game, we are in total control (Let’s not bother God for this measly blog). No players controlling us with a joystick. Welcome to Simcity sans the Sim.
The twist in the game is quite predictable.
All characters look down upon each other, subgroups will look down upon their peers, and so on. Every character will try to convince you to join their cult. Drinkers will convince you to have that “one magic drink” that’s supposed to be the turning point. Football players will never stop yapping about the beautiful game. Modi followers will never stop justifying “acche din”. It’s our job not to cave.
There will be backlash.
We might say or do things even if none of the other 100 is doing it. It’s ok. Do it!
Staying at home while your friends go clubbing is not a crime. Going for a movie solo when none of your friends are interested, is not a crime. Refusing to pay 50 bucks just to play a video game is not a crime.
But, having said that, you’ll be definitely be made to feel like one. You’ll be laughed at, shamed, maybe even ostracized.
In all of the chaos, we need to maintain character. All of us here have a “thing”, which makes us, us. And it is our job to be faithful to it. We need to make sure that the thing which made you an outcast becomes the new normal. People must accept you, for you, not for abandoning yourself and merging into them. The moment you apologise, or feel ashamed for the “thing”, that’s when the war is lost, long before the battle begins.
Originally published at mildlyfunnyagnosticguy.wordpress.com on August 22, 2017.
