Has Society Confused Being Weird With Being Unique?

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He is such a weirdo! She does some of the weirdest things! Those people are so weird! Sound familiar? I'm pretty positive that the majority of us have been viewed as weird by others at sometime or another. Most likely, in the event we're not being referred to as weird by other people, we've all at the very least been around people doing the weird talk of others. When we're not listening to others referring to someone else as weird, then we're the ones likely participating in the weird talk of others ourselves. So much "weirdness" that I'm starting off with this post today right? With so much weird talking of others going on within our society, it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between being weird and being unique. Then again, depending on how you view things, maybe the two are one in the same. I personally believe there is a difference among the two, and I'm going to shed a bit of light on why I think that is.

What's good people? Welcome to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Hope everyone has been doing great as of late. Like I always say in my blog entries, I greatly appreciate those of you that have taken out the time to stop by once again. It has been a month or so since I've posted, so I'm back at it again with another one of my perspectives on a topic that I've been pondering on for quite a bit. In this entry, I will be giving my viewpoint on the whole weird vs. unique debate. Then again, since I don't really see or hear a lot of people debate this topic, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a debate. It is however a topic that I've discussed with several people, and I do believe that there is some merit within discussing a topic such as this one. Lets get right to it!

As with any topic that can be discussed or debated, a person's individual viewpoint will always vary to what that individual thinks. My goal isn't to focus on being right or wrong, but rather coming to a space where there is a mutual respect among others opinions, despite having disagreements on those opinions. Just wanted to make sure that I threw that out there before going any further. Now I personally have somewhat of a problem with the whole weird vs. unique argument. My problem with this topic isn't just narrowed down to the fact that I'm certain there are people that view me as being weird. I'm totally fine with that if that's what someone feels. My biggest issue with this topic is that I think many of us mistake being uniqueness for being weird. Since I feel like this is happening so often in today's society, I think that a lot of people are being unfairly categorized into being something they're truly not.

Speaking for myself only, I see unique and weird as two fairly different traits. When I think of the word unique, I think of different in a good and positive way. The word weird doesn't necessarily come off as bad to me, but it doesn't evoke the good emotions I feel when I think of someone being unique. This is an assessment I think many of us can agree with. I say this because lets be honest here; most people that are classified as being weird by others are seldom viewed in a positive light. The majority of the time when we hear someone referring to others as being weird, it is normally some bad or negative. Now since I believe that many individuals that are simply unique and different in a good way and are being confused with being weird, these individuals are often avoided by those that view them as being weird. The end result is that a lot of people that are simply misunderstood by society are the mains one who end up being ostracized.

We all are individuals with our own identities, which means that we are all unique regardless. I'm not just talking about being unique in our skin tones, looks, etc. We're all unique in the things we enjoy, the values we have, the ways we think, etc. Being unique individuals is what differentiates us from being just like everyone else, and just because a person is unique, it doesn't mean they're weird. Think about this for just a second; what would the world be like if everyone dressed the same, liked the same exact things, and done everything the same way? That sounds like a pretty stale and boring society to me. From what I see on a daily basis, it almost feels like a person is instantly viewed as being weird if they're not doing what everyone else in society is doing. A person shouldn't be doing everything that society is doing just to gain approval from others. We should be marching to the beat of our own drum, and doing the things that make us happy regardless of what it looks like in society's eyes.

From my perspective, people that commit mass murders and crimes are weird. People that molest and hurt others are weird. People who have no compassion, and will belittle others to feed their own egos are weird. People that engage in these things I mentioned are weird in my eyes. Why, you may ask? I view them as weird, because they hurt others, and are not helping or adding anything to society. People that may dress differently from the normal, have views that aren't mainstream, or choose to stay home instead of going clubbing every weekend aren't hurting nor bothering anyone else. They're not stepping on anyone else's toes, so why are they weird? We have to open our minds and become more tolerant of how others live their lives. If the way a person lives isn't affecting you personally or hurting anyone else, then that person isn't weird in my opinion. Finally, if you're a person that lives an unconventional lifestyle, never allow others to make you feel weird because you're not like everyone else. Continue to let your individual uniqueness define who you are.

I believe I've gotten my point across in this post, so I'm going to go ahead and wrap this one up. Thank you again to those of you that tuned in to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. My hope is that some meaning and understanding was gained through this post and even if there wasn't, I still appreciate you reading. Thank you for your continued support, and I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2015 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Being The Person You Truly Are Can Sometimes Be A Lonely Road (You Have to Be Willing to Walk That Road).

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Every individual is different and unique in our own right. There will never ever be a time where there are two people that are exactly alike and even if we come across people that are similar to us, there always will be something regardless of how minuscule it is that makes us different from the next person. It almost feels ironic even saying that, because it seems that the majority of people in today are constantly attempting to fit in with what everyone else is doing. It's almost like longing for attention from others is like a drug habit that an addict would have a hard time kicking. Due to the things that society deem as being normal, are most everyday people now really afraid to be themselves? Are people willing to stand firm in their beliefs, even when it means being criticized by others? This is ya boy Brad H. once again, and I'll be giving my thoughts on this topic. Welcome to another 'Brad H's. Perspective' blog posting. Thanks for giving me a few minutes of your time.

So, I'm discussing how it feels like many of us aren't willing to really be who we really are out of fear of being accepted by others, and how being who you really are can sometimes be a lonely road to travel. This is something that has been weighing on my mind quite a bit as of late, so I thought I'd spend a few moments giving my thoughts on it. Before I go any further, I want to say that what I'm discussing in this topic obviously doesn't apply to everyone. I'm very well aware that there are many people out there that are living their lives on their own terms, rather than just trying to fit in with or impress other people. Now for the most part, the majority pretty much rules in all aspects of life. Think about it for a second; the majority of us do what we can to keep up with what the majority of everyone else is doing. Instead of us taking our own stance on certain issues we care about in life, we're too busy trying to go along with the "program". Going along with the program is much easier than going against the grain right?

It's an unfortunate thing, but I think that too many of us thrive off of attention from others, which is one of the main reasons why so many of us are always trying to fit in with what everyone else is doing. Don't believe me? Look at a lot of these social networking sites for example. Many of us see the same people constantly talking themselves up and things of that nature. Much of this is nothing but blatantly obvious attempts by people to make themselves look good to others. I'm not saying that a person shouldn't be proud of anything they accomplish. However, how much attention does a person need to feel like they're part of the crowd? How far should a person go to feel accepted? What's wrong with having self-validation, instead of always looking to other people for validation? These are all questions that I've been thinking about.

I think there are two ways to look at a subject like this. If you're one of those people that is okay and comfortable with being part of what's going on with the crowd, then go right ahead and keep living that way. I personally don't see anything wrong with that if you're happy and content with being like that. On the flip side, I don't think that any individual should fake who they really are just to gain attention, or be accepted by others. One thing that a lot of people know but fail to acknowledge is that not everyone that you believe is a friend of yours really cares about you as a person. A lot of the people that you're the closet to be the same ones secretly wanting you to fail. Being a unique person that doesn't follow the crowd can be a lonely, but necessary road to travel. Is it a path that you're willing to walk?

I've stated this before, but constantly longing to be around and/or wanting to be accepted by others isn't going to make a person truly happy. Happiness has to start within you first and a person that can't be themselves, or is constantly looking to fit in with the crowd most likely isn't going to be happy if they're not being the person they truly are inside. So to sum it all up, don't be afraid to walk that potential lonely path if you're different, or some of your beliefs aren't mainstream. The people that really care about you and appreciate you will accept you for who you are. Try not to worry too much about the people that attempt to down you, or make you feel bad for being who you are. As long as you're not hurting anyone or breaking the law, be who you truly are, and don't be afraid to walk down that lonely road.

Well that's it for this week's topic on 'Brad H's. Perspective'. Thanks again to those of you that stopped through. I'll see you in the next post. Till then, everyone take care, stay up, and keep on maintaining. Peace!