Перепост: Overcoming the Social Costs of Being Different

Только что получила письмо любимой рассылки - и как же оно для меня оказалось в точку! На тему того, как "наказывает" общество за дерзость "быть другим". Итак, читаем...

Overcoming the Social Costs of Being Different

Posted: 09 Sep 2013 06:37 PM PDT

‘From now on, I’ll connect the dots my own way.’ ~Bill Watterson

By Leo Babauta

Goodness knows I’ve put in my share of being different than most people. I’ve had to explain myself more times than is believable, and I’ve dealt with people avoiding my company because of my differentness.
And yet, despite the hassles and the isolation, I wouldn’t want to give up my differentness.
It’s who I am. And being like everyone else would be less authentic.
How am I different? Here are a few examples:

• I’m vegan
• I unschool my kids
• I’m a minimalist (and wear the same clothes over and over, have very little)
• My family and I are car-free
• Recently I haven’t been eating eat sugar or flour or fried foods
• I meditate
• I don’t have a “real” job (people don’t seem to understand what a blogger does)
• I mostly live without goals
• I don’t eat fast food
• I don’t have debt, nor own a home (nor do I plan to anytime soon)

None of that is to brag — I don’t think any of those makes me any better than anyone else, nor do I think I’m the first to do any of these. They’re just a part of who I am — and in fact, I’m different in many less visible ways.
I’m also similar to most people in many ways — I fail, I hurt, I get scared, I get angry, I am shy, I doubt myself. I am human and imperfect.
But the differences stand out when I socialize.

The Social Costs of Being Different (продолжение читаем в первоисточнике)