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Dec. 29th, 2017 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missmavenCh 1, Exercise #3
Let's reexamine Jeanette Winterson's quote:
Why be happy when you could be normal?
In what ways are you or your life not "normal" by outside standards? Is there anything that you wish you could do or a way you wish you could be that you avoid pursuing because it isn't "normal"?
First off, I applaud you for putting normal in quotations. I firmly believe there is no normal. Not truly. It's an ideal that's unattainable best summed up by the saying "On average a person has one ovary and one testicle."
But let's examine the quote. I think at an early age I just didn't connect with the script that most of society was telling. Somewhere along the way I realized that I needed to if I was ever going to be accepted or have friends. Then you begin parsing yourself out, what am I willing to compromise on to be accepted into my family? My friends? My school? My work?
What compromises am I willing to make to belong?
Brene Brown had wonderful things to say about the difference between fitting in and belonging. In short, fitting in is changing yourself to fit into a predesignated societal mould while belonging is finding people who accept you for who you are. There is far deeper personal validation to belonging. However, fitting is is also important in some circles. I'm not interested in truly belonging at my job. I have an alternative lifestyle in many ways and I live in the South. I do not belong in their societal norm. And that's okay. I don't need my coworkers to accept me on a deep level, I just need them to casually get along with me.
As I've gotten older with more experience under my belt I've relaxed a bit on letting the real me show. I'm comfortable with looking attractive at work, having gauged ears and showing some tattoos. But I'm probably never going to be openly bisexual or poly in my work place.
There are a lot of things I wish were different about the world I live in. But I don't see that changing anytime soon.
Let's reexamine Jeanette Winterson's quote:
Why be happy when you could be normal?
In what ways are you or your life not "normal" by outside standards? Is there anything that you wish you could do or a way you wish you could be that you avoid pursuing because it isn't "normal"?
First off, I applaud you for putting normal in quotations. I firmly believe there is no normal. Not truly. It's an ideal that's unattainable best summed up by the saying "On average a person has one ovary and one testicle."
But let's examine the quote. I think at an early age I just didn't connect with the script that most of society was telling. Somewhere along the way I realized that I needed to if I was ever going to be accepted or have friends. Then you begin parsing yourself out, what am I willing to compromise on to be accepted into my family? My friends? My school? My work?
What compromises am I willing to make to belong?
Brene Brown had wonderful things to say about the difference between fitting in and belonging. In short, fitting in is changing yourself to fit into a predesignated societal mould while belonging is finding people who accept you for who you are. There is far deeper personal validation to belonging. However, fitting is is also important in some circles. I'm not interested in truly belonging at my job. I have an alternative lifestyle in many ways and I live in the South. I do not belong in their societal norm. And that's okay. I don't need my coworkers to accept me on a deep level, I just need them to casually get along with me.
As I've gotten older with more experience under my belt I've relaxed a bit on letting the real me show. I'm comfortable with looking attractive at work, having gauged ears and showing some tattoos. But I'm probably never going to be openly bisexual or poly in my work place.
There are a lot of things I wish were different about the world I live in. But I don't see that changing anytime soon.