Bohemian rhapsody

People have referred to me in various ways—non-conformist, bohemian, mildly-eccentric, socially aloof, original—when they’re trying to describe my lifestyle in relation to society. What is clear, however, is that I am definitely not a follower, and often tend to buck “fashionable trends”. I rarely do this on purpose, though I have been known to make it a point to look the part on occasion.

I have always wondered why this was, and at some point chalked it all this down to my (yes, you guessed it,) social stuntedness. As in, if you don’t notice things like how people behave or appear in public, or what the “cool people” are wearing or doing, then there isn’t much scope for mimicking what goes on.

When people bring it up, I oft tell them something along the lines of how strong and independent I am, or something similar, subtly implying I genuinely don’t care about what society thinks. I am smart and tough enough to form my own opinions as well as rules, and stick firmly to whatever it is I’ve figured out for myself.

Basically, I don’t need your approval, nor do I crave validation.

The reason I bring any of this up is that I was up to some light reading the other day, and chanced upon this most apropos quote by Sartre (Jean-Paul Sartre).

“People who live in society have learned how to see themselves in mirrors as they appear to their friends. I have no friends. Is that why my flesh is so naked?”

I was blown away, and found it a most succinct and poignant way of putting the crux of the matter across.

Make of it what you will.

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