Many wish to be "part of the crowd". If you want to be a leader and stand out instead, here is the article for you. Knowing that you are unique and original is a great feeling.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part One: Knowing Yourself
Step 1. You are unique. Remember to begin that you are different from every other person on this planet. Obviously we are all different but each of us has characteristics and experiences that have made our life so. No one else has the same brain, the same thoughts and reactions as you do. You are different precisely because you are human.
The labels are pretty useless. Striving to be different is also not something that ever works completely. A change of cultures will show that people behave differently by default. Accept yourself for being truly unique and work on yourself. Who are you?
Step 2. Find and be yourself
To be as different as possible you have to be yourself, not someone else's copy. If you don't know who you are, the process will seem a little scary. To be yourself you must first understand who you are. Do you know how you are? What are you? Who are you when you are alone?
It is important to love each other. If you are not comfortable with yourself, you will inevitably end up trying to be someone else, or at least someone you are not in order to please others
Step 3. Spend time alone
Today it is normal to always be bombarded with stimuli, both on the screen and from the people around us. To truly grasp the essence of yourself, spend some time alone. Disconnect from everything. What are you left with? Meditate on what's important.
They constantly tell you what to wear, what to eat, how to look, act, what to read, what to watch, etc. Stay on your own and suddenly you won't have a guide. It will be a weird feeling to think about what you wouldn't miss if you don't have to wear, eat, say, read and look at that thing over and over. Think about which aspects of the environment affect you and which ones you choose openly
Step 4. Know what you want
Stay on top of wanting to be different. maybe you are in a group of friends who do not particularly appeal to you and that little voice inside your head is only misinterpreted. What does it mean different for you?
What do you mean by normal? What do others mean when they tell you that you are "the same"? The personal interpretation of what is "different" is… different. Is it because of how they present themselves? Do they behave? They talk? Do they dream?
Step 5. Know how you want to be different
Once you understand what "different" means to you, how do you want to behave about it? If you are among friends who eat protein bars and wear pink on Wednesdays, how do you stand out? You want to become a math genius or shock them by dressing in purple instead. You can be different in many ways.
Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Discover Your Uniqueness
Step 1. Look at your environment
A Japanese who shakes hands instead of bowing will be different within their culture but normal in Europe. Reading Thoreau for fun is commonplace in some circles while for others choosing Cosmopolitan will be. To understand how to be different you will need to consider the environment. Think of three words to describe yours. What is the opposite?
Let's take the movie "Mean Girls." Three words to describe that environment? Superficial. Compartment. And trivially… bad. If you're a girl, do you want to stand out from the ones in the movie, the Plastics? You will have to be a thinker, not tied to the look and pretty. However, being pretty on some laps is completely normal (and expected). What's your ride?
Step 2. Observe
Take a step back for a moment and observe. How do people behave? How do you interact with others (friends, strangers, cashiers, lovers)? What do you think? How do you dress? If you were to be a part of their tour, how could you still stand out?
- And here comes a kind of indignation. A nice bright color for example would make you stand out from the crowd on a dreary day.
- You could make small changes to your behavior. When the cashier asks you how you want to, you might reply, "I don't know. How's your day going?"
- You could take the wrong path: be loud, throw things, start dancing on the table and for sure that would be different than normal etiquette. But then you would probably get kicked out.
Step 3. Do what you like
You will enjoy things that are trendy and others that are not. Alright then! If you do what you like it will still be a set of things that makes you unique. Maybe you like making bread, jiujitsu and going to thrift shops. If you enjoy it, that's fine.
Nobody else should care what others think or do, Do you want to sing a song from Cats in German? Fabulous. Go. Buying a bag from Abercrombie & Fitch? Well, if it makes you happy, go. Nobody has to tell you what to do
Step 4. Try new things
We have all been raised to spontaneously be part of a group. So we are perpetually exposed to the approval of others. These things are good, they can help us get where we didn't venture before, but it's equally important to try new things that others may not even know. How else can you find out what you like and what you don't?
Step 5. Color outside the lines
Since childhood, one is taught to stay within the framework of society. We wear clothes, use utensils, go to school, do things that suit our genre etc. Understanding that you can also get out of this box is not easy. These are the famous lines of the drawing beyond which you can color. Unfortunately most of us don't see them.
Think about how you would behave if you were wearing a dinosaur costume. Nobody sees your face and body in that case. Suddenly you break into a room moving your paws and yelling at people just because you can. Could you do it, right? It is you who choose to avoid it. Because?
Step 6. Be absurd
If the example of the dinosaur and drawings aren't enough for you, here's one you don't even need metaphorical colors for. If you want to go to school wearing headphones and dance like Selena Gomez in one of her videos, remember that "you can". If you want to wear a Texan hat and stand in front of the supermarket all night, you can. (It doesn't mean you have to, but you can)
Some people will react badly to the dinosaur costume, dance in public, weird hats. If you start testing the ground by pulling on the rope, you will find yourself facing a lot of opposition. If you can handle them, go like this. But remember that many people can't stand what is "not normal."
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Take Action
Step 1. Shake hands with the enemy
It is a way of saying that you have to act differently than what people would expect. See where it takes you, who do you know: next time you may have to give your hand to a policeman, ask him how he is doing and see if he gets you a ticket or not. Of course you can.
One way to certainly be different is to be friends with everyone. How many people do you know who are friends with everyone? Probably none. It is a difficult thing! We end up judging those around us, attending certain stereotypes. Instead, make friends with those towards whom you would never feel inclined. You will be different and you will learn a lot
Step 2. Dress for yourself
It is easy to get caught up in what society calls good and attractive. It's impossible to avoid it entirely (unless you sew your own clothes), use fashion as a buffet: take what you like and leave the rest. Do you like a certain trend? Fantastic. Would you rather be sporty with a pair of 1972 boots instead of Nikes? Throw yourself in, maybe Grandma has a couple in the attic.
Step 3. Don't get caught up in games
It's hard to cite examples. You may claim to "listen to alternative music" but many do. However, one thing that appears to be quite different is the drama. Everyone loves it. If you want to be different, avoid it. Don't let it become a part of your life. And don't create it!
Because of the way we interact, we all end up playing games. A friend asks us if we are angry and we answer no so as not to cause problems even if we are gnawing inside. We do things to get attention, we command people, we use tactics to get what we want, even if they are not good things. If you recognize these characteristics, fight them. Being honest and sincere is something to be proud of and more unique than anything else
Step 4. Say what others think
One of the games people play is never saying what they think. You are afraid of being the only voice out of the chorus, of hurting feelings or being embarrassed. There will be times when the whole room is thinking about something but no one is saying it. The term "white fly" exists for a reason. You become it!
Most people are trapped by who they think they are or by the impression that they are really doing what they want. They are too busy thinking about others to really be "themselves". If you realize that you are not doing something because you are in the presence of others, do it anyway! (Under the terms of the allowed of course!)
Step 5. Never mind trying to impress
If you haven't noticed yet, there is a pattern of how other people's opinions should affect you. Since most people are concerned about impressing others and how they are viewed, try to act differently. It is often when you try not to impress anyone that you get the opposite effect!
You know that saying: love comes when you don't look for it? Well, that's the same for the rest. Instead of presenting an image to the world, show yourself. It is better and it is unique
Step 6. Remember that the world works in opposites
Nothing is as it seems. Many try to be different but in the end they are the same as others! Being quiet can mean that when you talk, people hear you scream. When you're not trying to attract a girl, she might be interested in you. So "trying" to be different could mean failing.
Dressing up as a squirrel or a dinosaur and walking into a bar, for example, is not necessarily different. In some ways it is like saying "Look at me all!" it's like wearing a mini and high heels. So next time you try to be different, think about what you are doing. It is the opposite?
Step 7. Know that you will bang your head
Society is not soft on those who are not trendy. People are praised for being fashionable and pretty, few for expanding their limits. Often these people can be rejected. And that's okay too! You don't need them. But you "must" know that it will happen. That way you'll be ready if it happens.
Aristotle said: "To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." In this he was right. There will always be criticism if you sing out of the chorus. Think of it as something good. They are noticing you. You are letting others know something new. You are different. Great
Advice
- Remember that awareness is an ongoing process. the person you are at 15 is not who you will be at 22, 49 or 97! Our needs and interests change as we change. Things that were once important become silly. Wisdom replaces ambition as we learn to grow.
- Keep an open mind or at least try. Learn to see the world from different perspectives (not necessarily human ones). Do not fear those who challenge your preconceptions and your values.
- Try to keep up with yourself. Being surprised if someone doesn't like your being bizarre implies stupidity on your part. If you can't stand a few skewed glances or comments, you will have no choice but to continue being a stranger to yourself.
- Don't act like you are superior to someone who is different from you. Many of them appreciate the style they have chosen and the shows they watch. Remember, popular things are popular for a reason. Don't avoid them on purpose because you might like them anyway. You might be amazed by the wit of TV shows like "O. C." or fall in love with "White Collar".
Warnings
- Don't give yourself a label. Just because you feel like you're a "gangsta" doesn't mean you can't love classical ballet.
- Remember that by asking another how to be different, you are challenging the purpose for which you want to become one. If you ask someone, you will NOT be different because the vast majority will tell you what they think from their point of view. So asking others how to be different is impossible as no one really knows. It's a paradox, isn't it?
- Being weird to be different is annoying and superficial. It will not help to see the world differently.
- Remember that being weird doesn't necessarily mean "being normal". Everyone is strange in their own way even if they conform to the rules of society.
