If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be: Normalcy is overrated! Society has a funny way of creating some rules and calling it normal. The funny thing is that what was normal a few years ago is not normal anymore. In other words, the rules are consistently changing, and it is a loser’s game if we keep trying to appease our environment and become a part of it.
Being normal has its benefits. You will not stand out enough so that people can question your actions. It is easy to carry on without external supervision if you follow a few rules. However, our life’s purpose is not just to fit in but to stand out and be true to our feelings, thoughts and emotions. This will be constantly challenged by the world that we belong to. But fret not, this is the way the world is right now. It doesn’t mean that you must play this game. You can decide to go beyond this normal and create a life that you truly believe in. All it asks you to do is to reject these norms and create rules that are defined based on your personality. In Maya Angelou’s words
If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be
If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.
Maya Angelou
Table of Contents
If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be
In a society with billions of people, why are we always expected to behave a certain way, eat a certain food and speak a certain language? The answer is simplicity – it makes society wholly predictable and people are rarely afraid of what is predictable. Although I can see the logic of a society or a group being predictable, I do hate the fact that it extends to an individual sense or a personal construct.
Your job isn’t to be normal but to be yourself. Wherever we get this rule from – it is not right. Someone telling us what our emotions, thoughts and actions should be is not right. We unfortunately become so good at listening to this external noise that sometimes we forget what our inner mind is telling us. If there’s something that’s worth being good at – it is about listening to our inner mind and establishing our individuality. (12 Powerful Quotes on Society, People to provoke your individuality)
Trying to be normal
Trying to be normal is one of the most common curses that we bear. It is an evident threat to our individuality because we are trying too hard to fit into a mould and become like everyone else. This isn’t where success lies. This is where normalcy lies. The problem is – we are all born ot be something beyond normal. There’s a greatness within us which surfaces when we let ourselves free.
But we are too afraid because the society and our environment will reject this abnormal behaviour. It is bound to do that because the society is protecting itself. If we are born to be similar and the same as a society, there is no concept of individuality. As much as there’s a need to be a part of society, it cannot be at the cost of your core values and beliefs. When you see these in conflict with society, it is a signal for you to think about your approach. Do you want to be a part of a society where your core values don’t flourish?
If you’re expected to sacrifice your individuality, where do you go in the long run? What happens to your thoughts, values and dreams? Would you not be just the same as everyone and everything else? There’s nothing wrong, but the question is whether you truly want it?
You will never know how amazing you can be
I feel like a tried and tested cliche talking about being different in a world that is trying to make you like yourself. I am sure you’ve heard this over and over again and yet there’s a constant pariah on someone who tries to be different. Society has a way of being afraid of change and at the same time yearning a change. I suppose it is nothing more than a mere liar at times making you believe that you are less than what you can be.
If that’s the case, why do we have to let the general construct or belief affect the true internal self? If we are in this world to be the same as everyone else, we’ll need to find a way to be comfortable with it. However, even if a small part of you believes that trying to be normal in a world where your difference is a necessity, then you’re certainly the one who needs to take charge and make that difference.
References:
- https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/700564-if-you-are-always-trying-to-be-normal-you-will
- https://ltamh.com/2023/03/12/individuality/