Were you the kid who was always one of the last two standing to get picked for a team in sports? Did you sit on the sidelines when prom, school discoes and homecoming came around? At lunch, did you sit on the fire exit stairs, or hide away in the back of the library praying no one would spot you? Yeah, that was me. Going through school, being an outsider is never easy, more so during those adolescent years. Your hormones are raging, and it’s in these years in particular you care about what others think of you. It’s a frightening, but exhilirating time. Teenagehood is unique; it’s an incomparable experience.
1. You can do what the fuck you want
The first perk to being a loner is you do not have an entourage to answer to. You can dress how want, speak how you want; you have the liberty to have your own interests without tarnishing your friendship group’s image.
2. You become more perspective
Habitually, when you are known as the class “weirdo“, you tend to be or become more open-minded towards others’ beliefs, cultures and lifestyles. You might gain the golden gift of being observant. It’s a treasure and a fundamental life skill. Also comes in handy when completing exams and work assignments – trust me.
3. You Love thy neighbour as thyself
Generally, you treat others better than the average person due to your experiences of being ignored, teased or alienated. You have more understanding, compassion, care and sympathy towards others, because you value/respect their existence.
4. You are van gogh
Most likely, you’ll end up working in a creative profession. Being an outcast goes hand-in-hand with the arts, as many of us use it as a medium to unapologetically express our thoughts and feelings. Plus, having an artsy attitude adds depth to your character.
5. You are philosophical in nature
You’re insightful, inquisitive, and always curious to find the answers. You ask a lot of questions, and challenge everything and why things are the way that they are; you don’t accept the status quo. An occasional flavoured debate is always welcomed.
6. You won’t be forgotten
A large percentage of adults don’t in-detail remember who they went to school with. Having said that, being known as “the freak” makes you memorable for a lifetime, almost like a tattoo ingrained in their minds. For me, I was always “the girl with green hair and too many clips in it”. It’s a blessing and a curse.
7. you WILL live a ‘backpacking’ lifestyle
It’s highly possible that you will live a fufilling life. Your sense of discovery, adventure, and cosmopolitan outlook will lead you to travel around the world. Linking to lesson no.2, you’ll explore new countries, and learn first-hand about non-Eurocentric civilisations.
8. Glances, upon double takes
Instantly, you become more interesting to others. You are not a cookie-cutter of society. You’re a trailblazer starting your own trends. You do not feel the need to apologise for being different. It intrigues people, and some may even envy your perceived freedom to be yourself. Having a wide music taste is a bonus.
9. It won’t last forever
Your loneliness won’t last forever. Eventually, you will find your tribe. It might just take for you to enter higher education or leave it completely. Some soft encouragement to come out of your shell and meet like-minded individuals can be beneficial.
10. Being an outsider isn’t a bad thing
In therapy, your psychologist will usually give you their honest opinion from an outside non-bias POV, right? In English, we are taught through critical analysis to dissect the literature on neutral grounds. So then being an outsider isn’t always a bad thing, it’s just what the media brainwashes to us about societal norms. No, “no man is an island“, but you should have the ablility to work independently, and live by yourself. Many adults find it difficult to, hence why we need to acknowledge that sometimes going solo is necessary to suceeding in life.
The media likes to portray us as victims of society and school shooters, but in reality most of us are just humans who don’t fit into the boxes laid out for us. So next time you see a kid reading alone at the back of the bus, don’t pity him. He’s just part of our LO(S/V)ER club…and it’s amazing.
Words by charis CRAWFORd CORRI
Disclaimer- all images used within this article have been sourced from Giphy‘s official website. Ragged Culture Publishing Ltd. does not own the copyright to the images within this article. All rights reserved.