The Impact of Ostracism
Enforcing social control through exclusion and marginalization
“For there are two possible reactions to social ostracism- either a man emerges determined to be better, purer, and kindlier or he goes bad, challenges the world and does even worse things. The last is by far the commonest reaction to stigma.” ― John Steinbeck, Cannery Row
Being born into poverty and raised by a schizophrenic mother meant social exclusion was a given. Rejection, the pointed decisive judgment that one is unwelcome and scorned, and ostracism, the blight of being collectively ignored or excluded (Wesselmann and Williams, 2017), was a fated trajectory that persisted into young adulthood. Unquestionably, inhabiting an unconventional life on the fringe solidified my experience of being a ‘stranger in a strange land’.
In essence, ostracism is a broader, more enduring pattern of social exclusion, whereas rejection consists of specific isolated occurrences of being actively turned away.
To cope I defensively romanticized traumatic victimization and wore my exile like a badge of honor. Challenging stigma with defiance was an act of rebellion. It was a feeble attempt to rise up against mass judgements and…
