As human beings, we are desperate to feel different. We want to stand out, to feel unique and important, and in college, it's even more of a struggle to be unique. You strive to not fit in, you strive to not fall into the same groups as other people. Yet, I can assure you, you will never be unique in college.
Think about your group of friends. Think about the people around that push you to do different things or stay within your comfort zone. Think about how many different ways you've tried to "find yourself." If you've done all this, by now you've realized that you fall into categories. You may be the busy antisocial, the aspiring nerd, the hipster who sells jewelry on Etsy. You are not groundbreaking or souls-shaking and somewhere half a mile away is someone just like you who is questioning themselves in a different dorm. This is not to be discouraging or insulting, but it is an attempt at enlightenment. So often do people get wrapped up in trying to "be somebody" that they forget what they're actually doing it for. We all might have different life experiences and lifestyles, but our desperation to show that to people, to make them recognize how different we are, is part of what makes us so similar. Maybe it's time we pull back and re-examine who we are as individuals before we try and separate ourselves from the collective.
Love and learn from yourself. We all go shopping, buy clothes and shoes and accessories to put up an image for other people. Our want to be different can make us start to forget what we want for ourselves. Some Yeezy's or Nike's don't make you stand out if you don't even want them for you. Want something for yourself rather than worry about who will like them once you put it on. "How do I look" shouldn't be the questions for your friends nearby, but for your inner self.
Humans are gregarious creatures at heart; they desire to be in groups to grow and develop. Maybe trying to stand out isn't what we're supposed to be. Maybe life is about finding your niche, finding the people, or person, that brings out the most of who you are. Loving and learning from yourself is the most valuable when you start to branch out and learn from others as well. We live most fruitfully off of our experiences with others. On a college campus, you may do the absolute most to stand out, when in actuality, once you know who you are, it may be best to find who you fit best with. Growing up is about accepting what you cannot change. You can change who you are and who you want to be, but it is useless if that person isn't really you. Find yourself, find your niche, and maybe being so different won't seem very important anymore as long as you're happy with who you are.
