By Isabelle Jia
Personally, I struggle to understand the concept of the constant judgement of every peculiar thing that people in our society do nowadays. The thoughts that run through our minds such as, “Will people notice if I wore this jacket twice this week?” or perhaps “I don’t know which filter makes my face appear more vibrant,” should not be the reason for our existence. The fact that we cannot stand the way others feel towards us is absolutely ridiculous.
There’s an inability to function properly without getting a positive comment on our new haircut or a reassurance of what our friend group may think about our outfit of the day. Society shouldn’t be against someone if they have a different belief, a second opinion, nor hold that somebody against themselves for wanting to be singular. This world is supposed to be about diversity, a place where we can all be accepted equally for who we are and what we want and most importantly, how we’re going to achieve it. The majority of middle to high school students in my experience, do not like to stand out. They’d rather blend into the crowd, be a pawn to someone else’s game, instead of owning up to who they truly are.
Being one of those teenagers, I can tell you that at times that it’s difficult to be accepted by the people around you. But if your friends or anyone that stands in your way of succeeding in life can’t adapt to what you pursue in becoming, I’d suggest you distance yourself from whomever that may be. True friendship should be boys, girls, men, and women who fully support your choices whether or not it’s the right path to choose. It is your decision in the end on what you want to do. Who to befriend, who to unfriend, what to have for breakfast, if you want to go to school, who to talk to, what to do in your lifetime, who to love, who to trust, and so on. It is you who decides what goes and what stays.
Who you are, who you may be, should not be a factor in what others may think about you. To build a healthy lifestyle for yourself, I encourage you to relieve yourself from anyone who doesn’t believe in you. It’s the least you could ever ask in a person. Start there.
