I Am Undefined.
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I Am Undefined.

Unpack the boxes you've been putting everyone in.

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I Am Undefined.
John Di Natale

We live in a world where we are defined by one simple aspect of who we are. Even if we do not actually fit the standards of that definition, people mentally place us in boxes where we don't belong. Every day, we are defined by our gender, religion, sexual orientation, and even our political views. It is unfair to define somebody because of one of these categories, yet we do it every day, sometimes without even thinking about it.

When we need help with something heavy, we look to men to help us, because they are supposed to be stronger. Many women are very capable in these tasks, but are looked past because traditionally, women are defined as fragile and weak.

Religion has gotten a lot of negative light in recent events. By default, many people see any Muslim as a terrorist because of the extremists. This is anything but true, but many people see it as truth because of how our society has defined the religion. The same can be said for different branches of Christianity. Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, or something in between: there are stigmas associated with each, and no matter how untrue these things are, they are not easily shaken.

Sexual orientation has always been a highly sensitive topic. It is a sin to be gay, yet people sin every single day and these sins don't matter. Anti-LGBT groups feel that anyone who isn't straight is doomed to hell. Until recently, gay people could not legally get married. Even today, it can still be difficult to have certain weddings because there is still so much uneasiness.

Even political views cause people to be defined a certain way. Democrats believe Republicans are too conservative, and Republicans find Democrats to be way too liberal. In reality, most people have mixed views on issues, but because of the way the election system works, many register to a party to vote in primaries. Whisper "I'm a Republican" in a roomful of Democrats and they will start bashing you for supporting Trump, even if you don't.

Every aspect of us as humans is scrutinized and defined. We are denied opportunities because just a small part of us is forced into a box where we may not even belong. Rather than define someone because of who we think they are, we need to accept others for who they really are, and in order to do that, we really cannot define people at all. Each and every one of us has slightly different beliefs, and we cannot be defined because we kind of fit into the box. We cannot be contained by boxes, and we cannot place others into these boxes. Defining people based on a certain characteristic could deny them many opportunities. I refuse to be placed in a box, because I am not a chipped statue. I am a human being, and I am undefined.

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