A Case For Being Weird

Important human traits are universal — a desire to be understood for instance, and to be happy; to relate and be related to, and of course a desire to be loved. Other traits are personal — a propensity to overshare, an affinity for the color yellow, a love of dogs, or a ridiculous infectious laugh. If no two people are the same, we must all have at least one trait that’s an outlier. Most of the time you can choose to be average, or to flaunt that personal trait — that weirdness!

People like weirdness. It puts them at ease, and takes away their desire to act like Stepford wives. It relieves them of a need to act in a way they perceive as normal.

Normal. The concept of normalcy has been denied and debunked by many, and yet it’s an idea that is lasting and widely accepted. Is there such a thing as normal? Most likely. We use the word normal. We understand the concept and what it means, which is really all a concept needs to exist.

Instead of debunking the concept of normalcy altogether, let’s be weird. Why not own it? Let’s own the fact that we’re not normal to some degree.

Normalcy is akin to average or commonplace, and in most situations, we can choose to be one or the other.

Be weird. Make that choice — to let your inner weirdo show. It may be contagious. It may catch like wildfire, and whoever you encounter will feel at ease with letting their inner weirdo show. We’ll all be weird together, and what a wonderful world it will be.