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Life > Experiences

Why I Love Being Called Weird 

Alexis Garmong
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

I used to hate when I would get called weird as a child. This aversion to being called weird continued throughout high school, and even when my friends would say it jokingly, it would still bother me a bit. Now, I take it as a compliment of the highest order.  

Being called weird is incredibly freeing. At first, I felt like a constant outlier no matter who I was around. I would try to conform to the people I was close to and basically became an extension of them. However, this was so draining that I could never keep up the façade for long. I accepted that in some ways I was seen as different. Acceptance allowed me to realize that I was who I was and there was no changing it. This was freeing, but I still felt a deep resentment towards myself and my strange qualities.  

Then, one day toward the end of high school, I told my friend about how I was feeling, and she said something I carry with me every day. “I love you because you are weird, not in spite of it. Most of my favorite things are weird and that makes them more beautiful.” Now I do not remember verbatim what she said, but that was the gist of it. This freed me from the shackles of conformity, and I have embraced my weirdness ever since.  

Weird is not an insult. It is just a demonstration of variety. What would the world be without “weird” people? It would be boring and monotonous. There would be no innovation or creation. All new ideas are considered weird at first.  

People find value in ideas once they are accepted by the majority or have come to fruition in some way. Do not let this deter you from embracing your weirdness. All the movers and shakers of the world were probably labeled as weird at some point in their lives. Weird is fun. Weird is exciting. Weird is transformative.  

In honor of the comforting message of my good friend, I am going to list some of the unique things that I love about myself and some of the weird things that I love in general.  

Weird Things I Love:

  1. I love how I find a way to make every social interaction awkward. 
  1. I love speaking formally in conversational settings.  
  1. I love making nerdy jokes about science or historical figures (Stonewall Jackson jokes are my favorite). 
  1. I love playing music and giving explanations about the song or artist even though no one asked.  
  1. I love posting random pictures without context on my private stories. 
  1. I love galloping and frolicking around (bonus points if I am alone in a public setting). 
  1. I love quoting TikToks in normal conversation. “I walked Bob Dylan on stage in 1975, who are you?”  
  1. I love being too scared to order at Starbucks and making my friends do it for me. 
  1. I love telling my friends to listen to EDM music before exams (I swear it helps).  
  1. I love being off-putting when a man tries to flirt with me.  
  1. I love people who ask honest questions when others deem it socially unacceptable in certain settings.  
  1. I love weird, niche Halloween costumes. 
  1. I love people who dress the way they want to regardless of where they are going.  
  1. I love Michael Cera. 
  1. I love the chokehold that Minions had on the internet for years.  
Alexis Garmong is a member of the St. Bonaventure University chapter of Her Campus. She writes and publishes weekly articles centered on topics like mental health and wellness, popular culture, and lifestyle. Beyond expressing herself and gaining writing experience, she aims to lean into the shared support, confidence, and sisterhood that Her Campus SBU has to offer! Outside of Her Campus, Alexis Garmong is a sophomore majoring in psychology with a minor in communication. She was previously a journalism major, and this facet of her identity is demonstrated through her advocacy for ultimate truths and rights like Freedom of Speech. She is interested in philosophy, theology, and any subject that encourages one to look at the world from different viewpoints. In day-to-day life, she enjoys listening to a massive variety of music genres and updating her Apple Music playlists accordingly. She loves films, fashion, art, literature, spirituality, animals, and nature. Her ultimate inspirations in life are Anna Karina, Audrey Hepburn, and Michael Cera. You can usually find her listening to Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, hanging out with friends, or lounging with her cat, Khaleesi.