Being Great: Are We Really Just Scared?

This is going to be a quick post, but hopefully still thought-provoking.

Some of you may have heard of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He wrote many essays, the most famous of which is “Self Reliance.” In his essay, he basically tells the reader than people need to depend on themselves. They need to be confident, but not cocky, and respect themselves. If you don’t respect yourself, how can you expect others to?

The most famous statement in the essay is “To be great is to be misunderstood.” When you first hear it, you probably thinking “okay, sounds cool, whatever.” Don’t dismiss it yet! Do you even understand what it means? I had to write a paper analyzing this for school, and at first, I came up with the stupid generic response: the greater someone is, the fewer people there are like them. The fewer people that think the way they do. Therefore, they’re misunderstood.

Wasn’t that just so enlightening?

Here’s another way of thinking about it: if one thinks about all the “geniuses” in history, it appears that all of them were misunderstood (Einstein, Newton, Jesus, Columbus, etc.). Why is that? It certainly has something to do with their thinking being far above others, but also, “to be great” almost by definition is to be strange. People who are considered great pushed the boundaries of their society. They tried new things. They looked at things in new ways. Anyone who is great will be misunderstood, because to be great, one must challenge the common thinking.

I would like to be great. Wouldn’t you? But who wants to be misunderstood? I think that’s what holds a lot of people back: the fear of being misunderstood. When you think outside the box, you’re usually labeled “weird”. Maybe that’s why today’s young people don’t do as many great things as we could.

Yeah; ’cause we’re SCARED.

So, I challenge you. Think outside the box. Challenge common thinking. Be misunderstood.

Be great.

Weird vs. Normal: Does the Problem Even Exist?

I'd like to call to your attention the difference between Weird and Normal:

There isn't one.

Yeah, yeah, I know you're thinking, "Um, yes, there is. Example: YOU are weird, and the rest of the world is normal."

Not quite true.

Think about it. What is the definition of weird? Something abnormal, right? Something or someone that goes against the trend or social patterns of the world today. And normal is what the majority does, says, and thinks, right?

Well, by those standards, weird and normal change every day, every year, on different continents, countries, and even just states.

Take the 60s for example. Think about the hippies. They were WEIRD. But not to everyone. Some people thought so, some didn't. But either way, they were not nearly as weird then as they would be now, right? Because after all, in the 60s, you at least saw them around. Nowadays, if you saw a hippie-looking person, you would think, "OMG, WHAT A WEIRD-O!" In the 60s, it was more just like "Oh, another weird-o."

But, were hippies weird among other hippies? No. . .

Take peace-signs, too. They originated during the Hippie Reign, and they were actually pretty cool. Little circle with lines through it, whatever. But it was cool. Then, as quick as it came, it was a thing of the past. It was weird again. In the early 2000s if you saw someone wearing a peace sign, you'd probably have though "Uh, hate to burst your bubble, but hippies went out like FORTY YEARS AGO." Now, peace signs are back. A bunch of people are wearing them. It's cool again--normal.

See, here's the thing: Normal and Weird are relative. Weird today, normal tomorrow. Normal today, weird tomorrow. And then normal again. Normal to you, weird to me. Weird to you, normal to me.

Ah, the beautiful of relativity. (Thanks, Einstein. Haha, just kidding.)

Normal doesn't necessarily go out with the times either. It goes out with the place, too.

Weird in the North (sweet tea) is normal in the South. Normal in the North (raspberry tea) is unheard of in the South. Weird in the USA, normal in China. Normal in the Middle East, GET-AWAY-FROM-ME-TERRORIST in the USA.

Weird and Normal are so passing and relative, that there's really no such thing. At all. You're version of weird is different from your neighbor's version, and your neighbor's version may be different from your mom's version.

Normal: the constant average of how people act, think, and speak.
There is no "constant" average of how people act, think and speak.
Therefore, there can't be such thing as a normal.

Or weird.

Weird is the outrageous way of being people don't normally be.
There isn't a way to "normally be"
So there can't be a way people DON'T normally be.

Confusing? Definitely. True? Probably.

Weird vs. Normal. Does the problem even exist? If someone seems weird to you, they may be bringin' in the new trend of twenty-ten. Saying "Omg!" and "lol!" seem normal to you?

In ten years, it'll be our equivalent of "Groovy!"

Think about THAT.

Going Green: Give America A Break

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for keeping Earth alive for as long as possible, especially considering I live here. But the whole concept of “going green” has gotten SO ANNOYING. I am getting a little fed up with the whole GAHHH!!!-DID-YOU-JUST-THROW-THAT-CAN AWAY-THAT-IS-RECYCLABLE-MATERIAL!!!!!! thing. It’s really starting to get on my nerves.

The whole world is “going green”, which is a fine thing, just not when every time I open a magazine they’re screaming “secrets” about how to go even GREENER than we already are. It’s in children’s programs, even! Entire episodes of Curious George have been dedicated to making sure kids know they’re killing trees with every drawing they create.

My friends and I even have a joke: every time someone throws ANYTHING away (let’s say it’s a plastic cup), we’ll say something like “Kendra! You’re killing the plastic trees!” Or metal trees or Styrofoam trees or whatever-the-thing-happens-to be-made-out-of trees.

I really am all for the environment, and let’s not go dumping oil into the oceans or anything, but the whole thing has just gotten really overdone and out of hand. All the irritating “reminders” and stuff are making people like me resent the whole issue. I’ll just throw away my aluminum cans and take thirty minute showers just to buck the “green” system!

Everyone already knows about being green. Do we have to keep dedicating entire episodes and magazine issues to the movement? Just let it sit for a while. Bring it up again for the next generation.

If we really wanted more “green” tips, we could Google it.