What's So Funny?

“They laugh at me because I’m different. I laugh at them because they are all the same.” -Kurt Cobain

Something about this quote (which I found on Facebook) gave me pause. I realized how true it is. Our culture makes fun of those who stand out, but they have no reason to laugh.

It’s the mocked who do.

The go-getters, “overachievers” (I really dislike that word), and hard-workers can laugh. Those who clock-in and do their job with excellence. The creative and slightly odd people who are themselves and don’t care what others think.

When I was little, I loved Play-Doh. I still do. But you know what happens when all the unique colors get mixed together? It becomes gray and bland. It’s ugly and not worth much.

Our culture likes to do that with us. We all have different talents and personalities. We are all different and special in our own funny ways. We are each a piece in a puzzle that serves a greater purpose*.

Until our society gets a hold of us, that is. It blends us together by saying that we have to think this way or dress that way. Individuality will not be tolerated, unless that particular type is pre-approved by the elite (celebrities, etc.).

So why can the weirdos laugh? They can laugh because they will be able to one day look back at their life and know they lived it to the fullest. They went against the majority when necessary. They took risks and were ridiculed when they thought it was worth it. They had no chains holding them back.

Everyone else? Well, they lived to fit in. They were cookie-cutters who always marched to the beat of someone else’s drum. At the end of their life, they realized they were individuals with a specific uniqueness to them… but it doesn’t matter at that point. They won’t be laughing anymore.

Which are you? Obviously, it’s not bad to go with the flow sometimes. But often you can do bigger and better things by knowing your own strengths and weakness, your personality, and the situation. You have skills to offer that no one else has in your proportions. No one has quite your personality. With this knowledge, are you still laughing at those who are different? Or are you laughing at the world? Your answer is telling.

*In secular terms, the "betterment of society" would be the greater purpose. In Christian terms, the will of God and His Kingdom is the greater purpose.

#BeingDifferent #AQCCulture