Let’s Talk About Owning Your Weaknesses

A story of self-awareness and Nebraska.

When I was a kid, I got picked on for having a big nose and a big head. I was never outright bullied about it — my friends were the only ones who did it — but it was fairly constant and it hurt a good amount.

They were right, of course. My head and nose are indeed substantial. Kids are good at poking until they find a weakness, then gleefully attacking. One of my friends was short. Another was a little on the heavy side. Another couldn’t stop garbling his words. Any guesses what we said to them on a daily basis?

But one day, as I surfed on AOL (a/s/l?) when I was 14, things changed for the better. In a moment of frustration, I switched my screen name to Nosehead40. Did people stop picking on me overnight? LOL. Nope. But the screen name switch helped me embrace my face, and the insults hurt less. And over time, the nose/head insults did indeed quiet down. That’s the power of a little accurate self-deprecation.

On a related note, the state of Nebraska has a new tourism tagline.

Imagine how remarkably brutal it would be to have a job that requires you to sell something that’s a national punchline.

“HURRY! GET YOUR SACRAMENTO KINGS SEASON TICKETS!”

“DON’T MISS THIS CHANCE. SEE NICKELBACK LIVE. PLEASE.”

“VISIT NEBRASKA!”

Wouldn’t that suck? How do you sell that which is unsellable? Well, if you’re John Ricks, Nebraska State Tourism Director, that’s the big question. His state consistently ranks 50th (dead last, in other words) of states tourists plan to visit. Nebraska’s previous slogan, “Nebraska nice,” was an underwhelming yawn factory that wasn’t working. So Ricks hired a Colorado-based agency to fix it. And fix it they did.

Yes, this is a real, verified tourism slogan. It’s coming to your state in 2019.

I adore this new direction for Nebraska. Personally, I only know the state as an infinite annoyance that drowns me in corn as I drive westward to Colorado. But now, after bring punched in the face by “IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE,” Nebraska is…kind of hot now?

I know. It’s weird. This new slogan is funny, charming, and completely self-aware. It actually makes me curious about Nebraska, which is a massive win.

The slogan is brutally honest, but it appears the ads themselves will pair brutal honesty in the copy with images that contradict the self-deprecation. Like so:

This is a good ad concept as well. Directly opposed copy and imagery has been done plenty of times before, but for good reason: Ads like this can instantly change someone’s perception. That’s a big deal. If people see this ad and say, “Is that really Nebraska?” then it’s a win.

John Ricks and his State Tourism team are well aware Nebraska ain’t for everyone. That’s great news, because NOTHING is for everyone. Not one product in the history of the world. With “HONESTLY. IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE.” Nebraska is finding its people. The ones who want to explore, get away from the city, have an adventure in a different place.

So! We now know brands that are self-aware and self-deprecating are kinda fun. But what about people? What are the rules of self-deprecation for you and me? Well, it depends on which group you fall into:

Self-Deprecation Type 1: Fabricated

You know that one friend you have who’s stupidly attractive? Ugh, they’re the worst. When they switch to self-deprecation and point out flaws they don’t actually have, it comes off as compliment fishing and makes it obvious that they lack self-awareness. Blech.

Verdict: Don’t be self-deprecating when you have no reason to be. It’s a huge turnoff.

Self-Deprecation Type 2: Real

Look, we all have flaws. You can choose to run from them, or you can choose to embrace them. You were gifted your body and your mind, so love it for all that it does for you and laugh at it for all that it doesn’t. It’s still easy to overdo it and turn people off, but finding the right self-deprecation ratio makes you humble, funny, and a good hang.

Verdict: Find your flaws, get out ahead of them, and poke some light fun at them from time to time. It’s oddly attractive.

Honestly. You’re not for everyone. Neither am I. That’s okay.