Just a few weeks ago, I was presented with the opportunity to restart Suffolk's environmental club. And, to be completely honest with you, my initial reaction consisted of a giggle and a snapchat that mocked the idea to my friends.

Why was the thought of becoming president of the environmental club so comical to me?

I mean, there's the obvious reasons: I'm a broadcast journalism major who hasn't taken an environmental class in years.

But, there was a more prevalent reason for my short fleet of laughter, and that was the social stigma that I knew surrounded the title of “club president.” Well, at least back in high school. They’re considered the dorks, the "try-hards."

That’s when I realized how completely backwards our logic is today. We tease people for being passionate about something (like wanting to save our planet) and it's literally considered an insult to peg someone for trying harder than others.

What does that say about our society - when classrooms are full of students who shy away from raising their hands because they might be deemed a nerd or a "teacher's pet"? These children grow up to be adults with the same mindset. If you attempt to excel at your career, you’re merely a “workaholic” or a "kiss-ass."

And, as the cycle of negatively connoting ambition continues, the list of those who sacrifice their inner fire grows longer. It’s human nature to want to be accepted by others, which makes it easier to fall into the footsteps of the ambitionless when they exclude those who differ. When the social norm is that effort isn’t “cool,” and that one should remain as camouflaged and unoriginal as possible, people lose their motivation to succeed.

You see it in kids when they give up music lessons or sports to sit around with their friends. You see it in adults when they abandon their desired career path for the dull nine to five desk job. You’ll hear “it’s too hard,” or “it wasn’t realistic,” but the truth of the matter is that, somewhere along the line, people belittled their will to succeed. They were told that their ambition was unnecessary or “extra” - and they were probably fed this B.S. by the same people who emulated their way of life.

The best advice that I can give is to dodge the venom that spews from those who dare to call the driven ones “try-hards,” and those who aspire to normalize passivity. These people are the toxicity that taints our world, and they only crave to tear you down to their level.