We are all inspired by someone, whether that is our favorite celebrity or a member of our family. Admiring someone can push us to our limits; they can make us better writers, faster runners or maybe kinder people. However, when admiration bleeds into obsession, we may lose sight of who we truly are and what makes us unique.
Whether we realize it or not, the idea of blending in is the driving force behind many of the decisions we make throughout high school, and even throughout our whole lives. No one wants to be known for the wrong reasons, and this fear limits us and prevents us from going out of the box or trying something new. Acting a certain way because it is what we think we are supposed to do based on external pressures, though, stops us from discovering what we believe, the things we like and who we truly are.
It would be one boring world if everyone did what the majority did. Although we have all been told the same cliche time and time again to just “be ourselves,” this is a vital piece of advice. Without a variation of ideas, personalities and interests, innovation would cease to exist. Uniqueness and individuality are what create and advance the world as we know it, and it is often the smallest differences that create the largest changes.
You have probably bought a shirt because you saw someone else wearing it on TikTok, or started listening to a song after you heard your friend play it in the car. It is safe and comfortable to try something that we already know works or are confident we will like. It may be fun to match with your best friends and peers, and there is nothing wrong with being influenced, but differentiating yourself from others is important. Trying things that may scare us initially can often lead us to grow and discover new parts of ourselves. The things that set us apart from others are what make our lives our own.
One of the most central parts to what makes up who we are is what we value. Simply following what others believe, whether that is our parents, our friends or what we see online, is dangerous. It can cause us to lead lives and make decisions that aren’t true to who we are. We must decide for ourselves, with our own research and reflection on life experiences, what we personally value. No one benefits from a lack of individuality in the world. There is a choice we all make at various points in our lives about who we want to be. Whether or not we decide to make our own path determines how we benefit or do not benefit our world.
Staying genuine to ourselves is easier said than done. It is no easy feat to be unapologetically yourself, especially at a time where it feels like we are constantly being judged. But it is vital to ourselves and to the world nonetheless. We may stumble and lose track of our values from time to time, but all that matters is that we all keep trying our best.
There is only one lifetime that each of us gets. There is no reason to waste that precious time pretending to be like everyone else, so don’t. Be inspired and learn from others, but live your life the way you want to, not the way an influencer or a peer may live theirs.
Normality is a social construct that is, quite frankly, a useless condition to strive for.
Not everyone is going to be a highly looked up to celebrity, but we can all inspire someone by being ourselves. It is not that you should never dress the same as someone else, or not hold the same opinions as your peers, but be cognizant that you do not have to fit in. Sometimes the uncomfortable things benefit us the most.
Every individual characteristic is important. What could be considered individuality in the microevolutionary world is how we came to be. From the first single-celled organisms came the earliest microbes, then fish and then amphibians.
From that small base, many classifications of life branched off. After millions of years mammals emerged, and shortly after, humanity. The most minute differences lead to the greatest changes.
Our generations, generation Z and Alpha, are the emerging leaders of the world, and we need to use our voices. Not nearly enough of us are doing so, especially in the wake of atrocities in the Middle East, Ukraine, our own country and many other places. Every voice matters.
We can not always blindly follow the crowd, especially in the political climate of today.
