On Diversity

Dear Michelle,

Humans are social creatures. This is both a blessing and a curse; while it enables us to work together to accomplish feats much greater than we could do alone, it also means we tend to suffer from exclusionary behaviour. Those people who don't "follow the rules" are shunned from society.

But we must always remember that diversity is essential. People tend to shy away from those they believe aren't "normal," but normality is, by definition, the average. We must never forget that those who are average don't achieve greatness. Many of the people who have made the world a better place, such as Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Thomas Edison, or Martin Luther King, Jr., were not average people. They were not "normal."

Being abnormal isn't a guarantee of greatness, by any means (we must also remember that there are those on the other end of the spectrum who are also not average; terrible men like John Wayne Gacy or Son of Sam). But one thing is certain: being normal is a guarantee that you won't be great.

There is a song called "Standing on the Shoulders of Freaks," which takes a humorous look at the little insanities and idiosyncrasies of some of the most influential people in history. While it is meant as a funny song, it does have a valid point. The most influential people in history are anything but normal.

Never feel as though you have to fit in. Always do what is right for you. Just remember that there are different definitions of normal, depending on who you're talking to; for example, someone with violently pink dreadlocks and loads of piercings who wears black clothing would not be considered abnormal amongst goths. But whoever you decide to be, remember that "normal" is not an important characteristic.