“Fitting in allows you to blend in with everyone else, but being different allows you to be yourself, to be unique, and to be more creative.” – Sonya Parker
Imagine a world where we are all the same, we all have the same type of personality, behave the same way, we all like to do the same things, same taste in music and food, it's hard to imagine right? But is it any fun? It undoubtedly wouldn't make the world a better place, where everybody would want to be a lawyer or a doctor. Life would be dull and boring.
Have you ever thought about how different opinions and perspectives help us find solutions to issues we face in our lives? If that had not been the case, we would be stuck solving basic issues. We don't think everybody realizes how important differences are, they make a change in this world, they keep this world going. There would not be any diversity in this universe otherwise.
Why differences matter?
They create balance
There are all different sorts of people in this world, some are creative, some intelligent, some are responsible, some not so responsible. Some are introverts and some are extroverts. Some like to sit in a quiet room and write stories or books, and some want to speak their mind in front of thousands of people. Some just want to make people laugh, and some hope to save the lives of people. All of this creates a balance which makes sure we live our lives the way we want to, not the way you might have to.
They enforce skill development
If everybody were the same and possessed the same skills, the majority of the people would like to opt for that same thing, and that definitely would disrupt the balance we have today. Imagine a world where everybody was skilled in making designer clothes, but none possessed the skills to cook remarkable food.
They ensure diversity
People come from different cultures and religions, they have different beliefs and values, due to these reasons everybody has different goals and perspectives towards the way they want to live their lives. This diversity in people spreads different ideologies and ideas that we need to keep this world going. Diversity enhances our lives.
We live in a world where it's not okay to be different in some ways, for instance people with neurological and physical differences, immigrants, girls who would like to dress like guys and guys who wish to dress like girls, or in simpler words people who aren't like most other people around are labeled as the “outcast” or the "weirdo". It may hurt to be called out like that when all you want is to belong there, fit in with them, not stand out from others as the different person, not feel like you're broken, and you need to be fixed, not fear to be disliked and left out. You may change yourself just to fit in, just to be liked, just to be like everybody else, you will definitely lose yourself in the process, lose whatever made you the person you are today, lose your foundation. It's important to ask yourself, is it even worth it? Is it worth pretending to be someone you're not, just to please others? No, nothing is worth losing yourself. Who knows, what made you different and stand out your whole life might make you flourish in life. But it all begins with accepting yourself, accepting that you're different and that it's okay, you're not broken, and you don't have to fix something that isn't broken. If there's anything that needs fixing it is the mindset of people who cannot accept the fact that everybody is not meant to be like everybody else.
Conclusion
We all are different in one way or the other, even if we like to do the things most people do. There's nobody in this entire world who is exactly as you are, no one, and that is something that makes you unique, something that makes you who you are. There might have been times in your life where you felt like you're a nobody, you don't have anything, or you don't matter. But you're “you”, your identity is the most special thing you have and nobody can take that away from you. Wake up, get out of bed and be precisely who you are.
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