Which kinda brings me to another thing I've been thinking about lately. "The normal thing." We all judge people according to what we think is normal. For example, when you hear about a 40 year old guy who is still living at home, or a person who drops out of high school or doesn't want to attend college, or maybe someone who has some crazy idea, like they're going to write music and be famous someday. That is when "the normal thing" rears its ugly head. I mean, lets be honest, all of us look down on people who aren't "normal" every once in a while. It's largely subconscious I think. You see it on TV a lot, on the internet ALL the time (trolls love this), and even when we're interacting with each other face-to-face. Sometimes, it's warranted. I mean, a 50 year old drug addict who lives on the street? That really is pretty gross and not normal or healthy.
But what about the people who are actually going for something that hasn't been done before? Something that isn't normal precisely because it is beyond normal, because it's new, it's exciting, it's different. Sometimes those new and different things seem weird. They aren't always amazing right off the bat, and they often go down in quality before they go up. And how do we as people treat those ideas? Basically, like shit. "Oh, you're trying to do what? That's not normal. That's weird. You're stupid, why aren't you doing something that's normal? Why don't you get a real job? Why don't you get a girlfriend? Give up your stupid dream, it's worthless." We aren't that harsh about it, but we all feel it. That awkward twisting in the gut, the sudden rush of anger or discomfort, the desire to say something lashing or demeaning for reasons we don't really understand. Why to people do that? Why do they feel the need to tell other people what they should be doing? Why do we all need to stick to what has been done before? What's wrong with a little bit of difference? A little bit of something new? And most of all, why do people even care what someone else is doing with their life? At some point you just have to give someone the authority to live how they want to live, for good or bad.
I personally am terrible at all this. But it doesn't stop me from thinking about it and being effected by it. (You're an art major? Have fun living in a box for the rest of your life. Oh, you want to do what? Write a book? Make shirt designs? And how many people are successful at that? That's right, no one you can think of. Why don't you go to college for a real reason, like being a nurse? Or maybe, I don't know, getting a job or something?) And I'm not even trying to do anything super weird or exciting! The world is a very strange place sometimes.
Well, that's about all I have for now. Thanks for reading guys. :)
I totally agree. When I was considering being a philosophy major I got the same thing.Do you want to teach? No. Then what will you do? and I don't know! There is truth to these questions, but being critisized constantly doesn't help me find an answer!
ReplyDeleteYou should totally get your lizard. He needs a home!
I think a large reason why people criticize the "abnormal" things people do is because they don't think it'll work, or that if it does, they are at a loss for it. For instance:
ReplyDelete1)"Get a job!"
"Why?"
"Because you'll go broke if you don't"
"But I'm just going to (sell designs/do odds jobs for people/enter contests/etc) to make money."
"But that won't work!"
2) "You're majoring in what!? What do you think you'll do with that?"
"I dunno just yet"
"Well maybe you should major in something that you will get a job in, like teaching!"
I think they're often a very truthful statements, if only for the people who said them. Perhaps they're right, perhaps not. I suppose that's what you have to find out when you decide to listen or not. I know why I say things like that when I do, partially cause I don't want that person to fail in what they're trying to do; that'd be bad. But also partially because I don't want them to succeed, because then they prove that they can beat the system I'll be forced to fall into. Kinda like trying to protect them while trying to defend my pride. Maybe that makes sense, maybe not. If anything at least it might give you some insight.
damn, that was a bigger comment then I meant to write! >_<
ReplyDeleteI ask because I'm curious why they are doing it. If there's a reason for it, then it turns into a really interesting conversation. If they don't have a reason off the top of their head, then it turns into the awkward situation where the person feels criticized. I don't want to criticize them. Sometimes I get the feeling that they are expecting to be criticized for it, and therefore take it as criticism. I do the same thing. I give excuses for things even though no one is criticizing me.
ReplyDeleteBTW, designing t-shirts since you are an artist isn't not normal. It's good PR and entrepreneurship.
Hey guys, thanks for the comments. This was exactly what I was hoping for! :)
ReplyDelete