Why fit in when you were born to stand out? We are born to stand out – express our individuality and tell the world who we are. That’s the whole point of individuality, existence and to a certain extent meaning, isn’t it? Unfortunately the world we live in is very strong and pulls us into making us a replica of someone else through following a few set precedences, behaviours and responses. In the midst of preparing for the society, we try so hard to fit in that we forget who we are and what our hearts are telling us.
This quote from Dr Seuss is a reminder about listening to the messages of our heart which tells us what our individuality is about. There will be numerous influences around us right from when we get up to before we sleep. It feels like dreams are the only times we get these unhindered thoughts that tell us something special. I feel these are the most beautiful messages that we get and all the more reason why our dreams are so important for us to do something about.
Table of Contents
Why fit in when you were born to stand out -Dr Seuss
It is a tough world out there. I find that our society is a funny place. It demands us to be ourselves. But the moment we try to do that, we are judged for every action that we take or don’t take. Especially with social media, it feels as if our entire life is put out on a display for someone else to comment on. And hence starts the era of external validation.
We don’t want to come across as people who are breaking the societal rules because the moment we do that, we are punished for it. The punishment starts from ignoring us, fighting our views, challenging us and sometimes even hating us. So, you see – although the idea of being yourself is undeniably a great one, it has numerous challenges to face before you get to express yourself.
Well, we’ve not even spoken about the inner dialogue that happens before our thoughts or personality comes out. As you know, we are our harshest critics. So, before we express or expose ourselves to the external world, we tend to shut out certain parts of ourselves which we think will not be welcome. Now, we are looking at multiple layers of filters before we show the world who we truly are.
The main question to ask is – if we are so fixated on trying to be something or someone else, what happens to the inner person? Does this person die a slow death who conforms so much into the societal norms that he/she forgets what the inner self wants?
What does it mean to stand out and be yourself?
This is not an easy answer. I feel that there are multiple layers that define what being ourselves means. But this quote is nudging us to find the courage to stand out because we are not born to fit in. If we are able to apply that filter to our life, it makes us think about a few things.
The purpose, responsibility and joy of Being yourself
This is the crux of the meaning of this quote by Dr.Seuss. We only have one life which means only one opportunity to establish ourselves. But it’s not easy, particularly when everyone around us is trying to make us someone else. If this life is not our signature, then what’s the point of living it for someone else? We have to find a way to find this innate sense and give it a channel.
Rejecting the social and limiting norms
It takes a lot to stand aside from the crowd and establish our signature. The best way we can support this is by finding our roots and values. Any time we feel weak, we need to find this strength beyond these social norms. Our society is a fabric that protects us and helps us grow. If anything is limiting us, we have to find a way to move forward.
Finding our identity and establishing our authenticity:
This is about who we are. We can’t waste our entire life trying to fit into a fabric. Instead, we have to find a way to find our authenticity. Why fit in when you are born to stand out right? Our authenticity is the only thing that can create this difference.
Celebrating differences in people and helping them stand their ground:
Finally, these differences are not just about us, right? Other people are different too. We need to find a way to support this and help others shine and stand out. Finally, our win is in supporting each other to win. We can’t stand out alone, it takes a lot of support from others and us supporting others to build this individuality.
Why Fit In When You Were Born To Stand Out Quotes
Most books and inspirational talks speak highly about being yourself. Unfortunately, you’re punished if you don’t follow the crowd. This makes it an impossible standard to live with. It isn’t easy to stand up for yourself. Especially when the resistance is so strong. But, some battles are worth the effort. We owe it to our individuality to understand what our values are and who we are as people.
Here are a few selected quotes on being yourself.
Be Yourself, Everyone Else is already taken!
– Oscar Wilde
Don’t change so that people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you
The biggest challenge in life is to be yourself in a world that is trying to make you like everyone else
– E E Cummins
Be yourself because an original is worth more than a copy!
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring
Marilyn Monroe
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them
Maya Angelou
Why Fit In When You Were Born To Stand Out Quotes
Dr Seuss Quotes
As a part of this article, I want to present a few Dr Seuss quotes to inspire us
Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.”
“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”
‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”
Dr Seuss Quotes
Who said why fit in when you were born to stand out?
This beautiful quote was by Dr.Seuss. Dr Seuess was known for his children’s books. What better way to influence people than in their formative years? I love this quote which talks about individuality. I think the quote takes a stronger meaning in facing the challenges that stand in the way of establishing our individuality. Society is weird – it wants us to be different but doesn’t give us the confidence to fight for ourselves. This is a strong reminder that we were born to stand out, be different and establish our identity.
Your life is your own. No one else can decide what it is about. Your values are sacred – if someone is stepping over them, it is a violation of your personal space. I believe this is the central theme of Dr Seuss’s quote
Why fit in when you were born to stand out
Dr Seuess – https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/dr-seuss-quotes
Theodor Seuss Geisel, very well known as Dr Seuss was a writer and cartoonist who has inspired visual artists, poets, writers, filmmakers, and people from different fields of life. He has remained one of the favourite children’s book writers, publishing about 46 children’s books.
His famous ones are The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Fox in Socks, The Lorax and many more. Dr Seuss inspires us through his life stories and quotes. Presenting a few such inspirations from the man who has a lot to offer us. You can find more about Dr Seuss on the wiki page
Motivational Stories about Dr Seuss
The pseudonym “Seuss.”: Dr Seuss, pretty well known as ‘Geisel’ in his college days was an editor in chief of a humour magazine in his college. Once he was caught violating the prohibition law by drinking with his friends. This in turn forced him to leave his job. But he continued to live his dream with the pseudonym “Seuss.”
From English Literature to cartoons: He intended to get a PhD in English literature to become an English teacher. But later chose to pursue his dream with Helen Palmer’s (his wife’s) encouragement.
When you are hungry, you see food everywhere:
It was the time when Dr Seuss was returning from an ocean voyage. He heard the ship’s engine rhythm. And that rhythm became his inspiration for his first book. It’s true when you are very passionate about something, anything can inspire you.
30+ NOs but somewhere he heard a YES:
More than 30 publishers rejected Dr Seuss’s first book. But he got someone to say yes after that – a testament to self-belief and chasing his convictions. I’m sure he’d have changed his approach and learnt from the feedback of these rejections. Yet, I take my hats off for his perseverance.
Poor to Rich:
Before you think it’s about money let me alert you. It isn’t about money here. His children’s collection called Boner’s book sold poorly but made him a rich man. It gave him a break into children’s literature. And even to this day, his books are the finest and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time.
“You have ’em; I’ll entertain ’em.”: Dr Seuss didn’t have his own children, when asked about this he would say, “You have ’em; I’ll entertain ’em.” This makes me wonder about the positive attitude of Dr Seuss. How often we worry about all the things we don’t have. Maybe it comforts us for time being but what keeps us happy for a lifetime is what we choose to replace our worries with.
Beautiful write up Vidya. Too inspirational and motivating. I love first quote the most – “why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Great line of thought. Enjoyed reading it. Thanks for Sharing….:)
I am so glad Tara. Thank you. His words are highly motivating. I am yet to see Lorax movie. from your comment I am sure it seems to be a nice one :)
What a coincidence.. yesterday I saw a movie ‘The Lorax’ and now I read about Dr. Seuss. I admire him and his thoughts. He is truly a great person, who sends amazing messages to the world through stories. Thank you for sharing the info. Vidyashree :)
Nicely said Vinay, great blog post :)
Thanks for sharing this. I didn’t know so much about the man….Definitely inspirational…. :-)