Dr. Slava Shut

The fear of being different can terrify anyone from childhood to adulthood, but it’s better to be different than it is to be too similar.

In these fast-paced times being different is appreciated more than being a cookie cut from the same mold. For many people, childhood was a difficult experience due to the fear of being bullied and perpetual misunderstandings between you and the world you live in. There was a common notion throughout generations that lead people to consider difference as weirdness and normality as the recipe to life. But this concept is not true. Many great people have been considered odd, but it was from their differences that they were able to form independent thought separating them from the crowd and create a forward thinker.

As an adult, you can still fear being “different” and correlate it to negativity. The doubt instilled by variance can cause a conflict of interests if you fixate. For instance, there may come a time when you want to get a job and fit into the work environment, but employers want incoming recruits to stand out from the competition. You may currently have a lifestyle you wish was better because you keep comparing it to others who might have something shiny and brand new, but it all can be a facade. In reality, every circumstance is different. The life you lead is not going to replicate another’s and you may never truly know what goes on in another’s life.

Outside of how we appear in person, or how we portray ourselves online there is still an ever-growing spectrum of variety.

Our thoughts and beliefs separate us and can sometimes cause a largescale conflict. It’s simple to say no one has the same opinion as you, and if there are similarities there will still be differences, but what matters is how you decide to challenge that differentiation. People can resort to online bullying or trolling, meanwhile others try to implement an education-based understanding. The second option is more beneficial to discuss, rather than leading down the path of using a fallacy in real life.

Whether varying in thought or physicality, the best thing about being “different” is challenging a status quo to make the world better. Accessibility has increased over the years, so those with physical disabilities can live an easier life that isn’t restrictive, in comparison to those with able bodies. There are apps created every day that benefit an individual in language, grammar, anxiety, shopping, music, fitness and so many other reasons all to provide a service to help make an aspect of a person’s life easier. With our differences we made the world opportunistic because we were given the space to respect, embrace, and create advancements for the greater good.

So, before you think it is bad to stick out of the mold, consider how the world has changed for the better. Challenging a status made education, living, accessibility, advancements in technology, ever expanding inventions and thoughts that have helped us grow as people and grow in heart. If it weren’t for our differences the world wouldn’t be as great as we know it.