Being Yourself (Passion Post 1)

Living day to day, there’s always this sense that we should be acting, thinking and looking a certain way.

Girls look around as they walk to class and see their female peers dressed in skimpy skirts/shorts, their faces coated in flawless make-up as they shove their breasts in people’s faces. They’ve got a grade A body, and they ain’t afraid to show it. Though it’s only 8 AM, they’re on their game and ready for action.

Men walk out the door and nearly trip on the trailing pant legs of the group of snap-back wearing 20-somethings, chattering away about the latest parties they’ve been to. Nothing intimidates them. They’ve got the world and everyone in it all figured out!

We’ve all seen it. We live it every day. And I’ll bet we’ve all experienced that sort of painful stab. That pang reverberating within our minds that maybe… just maybe we should be more like them.

This feeling is normal. It’s nothing to be ashamed of! Even the most confident among us feels slightly self-conscious when confronted with masses of people who act and think completely differently than they do.

It’s really very difficult to stay true to who you are in a world filled to the brim with all sorts of prejudices, judgment, and social stigmas.

“OMG, can you believe what’s they’re wearing?”

“What a complete weirdo! Did you hear what they just said?!”

Though it may be a fragment passed on by the wind, a stifled whisper, a hateful glare, we hear it. We see it. We feel it. And it hurts! It’s like they tromped right up to you, laughed, and smacked you clear across the face.

It’s this sort of hateful behavior that causes people to hide. Fearing rejection, they wear masks carved out for them by public ideals and opinions. They speak in the gritty, squeaky tone deemed acceptable by the latest trend-setters, and partake in all the socially-acceptable events. Bundling up their little quirks, special talents and passions, and all the things that make them truly beautiful, they throw away one of life’s greatest gifts: the ability to be unique and individualistic.

The goal of this blog is to challenge this way of thinking. To cast aside social “normality”, and truly embrace what it means to be oneself. It definitely won’t be easy… but I’ve always been very passionate about this, and it’s time for my voice to be heard.

Over the next weeks, I will be relating to you my experiences when dealing with social stigmas involving the way I dress, my tastes and opinions, and the way I interact with my peers. I’ll also be doing some interviews and asking people for their perspective on college life, and their personal take and struggle when trying to maintain self in so vast a school as PSU.

When you’re lost in a sea of strange faces, and most of them look almost the same, why would you want to blend in?! Be yourself! Express yourself! Love who you are! The more you understand what it means to be an individual, the happier you’ll be.

I’m embarking on a journey to self-acceptance. I certainly hope you’ll join me for the ride!

Signing off for now,

-P (:

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5 Responses to Being Yourself (Passion Post 1)

  1. Marcelino says:

    It is not my first time to visit this web site, i am visiting
    this site dailly and take nice information from here daily.

  2. Amanda Renee Leseman says:

    I love this idea and I can’t wait to read all of your posts!

  3. Kyle John Starzynski says:

    I really like your idea and what you’re doing. I think it’ll be interesting to see what other students think about these topics as well. My only suggestion is that you make sure to interview a wide diversity of people so we can see many different perspectives. Otherwise, I’d say I’m probably going to enjoy reading your blog!

  4. Samuel Slocum says:

    I’ll be interested to see how you develop this blog. I like the idea of you questioning the social norms, and seeing people’s reactions to things that are socially different. The good thing is that at Penn State there are so many people, so you can afford to be different, and still find people who will be different along with you.

  5. Daniela Chavez Velez says:

    I think that what you’re doing Polly is really brave, not everyone would expose themselves to the world as they truly are. There is plenty of truth in your words, most times we are afraid of rejection, after all we are sociable creatures, if you do not fit in or belong, you’re alone. But being different is what makes us interesting in the first place. I’m really excited about your blog and I’m hoping I’ll get to truly know you in the process. 🙂

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