As I write this post I'm wearing sweatpants, my Birkenstock sandals with my white socks, and a Pikachu shirt. I'm a geek and proud to be so and have always attained the lifestyle of weirdness. The world revolves around the weird and nerdy characters who grace this planet, and we are the movers and shakers who are defining the new age. Look at Steemit's most trending posts and you will see the weird and unique are the ones making all the money.
Growing Up Weird
Since I was a young boy, I've always strived to be different and embraced my individuality. Typically people who are weird are social introverts and keep to themselves. Extroverts can be weird as well, but I think a lot of them have different social strategies. I personally kept to myself and read lots of books, comics, confined myself in my room and jammed out Nirvana albums until I actually thought I was a relative of Kurt Cobain. During my high school years with the help of chemical calisthenics, I also figured I was Jim Morrison for a whole week straight, and that was a trip in itself.
Hours upon hours of my time have been behind the pages of J.R.R. Tolkien and in front of the screen watching Star Wars. Every Revenge of the Nerds film helped my life prosper, and I've always clung to the synergies of weird activity. When I graduated High School instead of going to college I instead traveled the countryside following Phish. I was infatuated with glow sticks, dreaded hippie chicks and wore one pair of patchwork pants for days on end. I found solace in a group of people that took vast amounts of enhancers and dressed differently than the rest of society. I went to countless shows and discovered myself quite a bit throughout these years. In my younger years being weird often times gave me anxiety but after traveling with Phish, I just didn't care.
“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. ― J.R.R. Tolkien
Weird People Change The World
Through my work with drawing/graphic arts and writing, I’ve managed to change people's lives. I have made people think differently when I got older and taught them to question their surroundings regularly. Some good friends of mine and even those I’m less acquainted with have changed their life philosophy from statism to anarchism by reading my words and visualizing my memes. I attribute a significant amount my charisma to being weird and a geek who just doesn't care.
Most great weirdos are like this from innovators such as Nikola Tesla, Einstein, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Edgar Allen Poe, John Lennon, Hunter S. Thompson and many strange people who have changed many people's lives. The law of attraction has guided the masses to follow people like this because they are truly individuals. Individuality is the core attribute of leaders who have a large following, and most of them are truly strange birds.
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” — Hunter S. Thompson
The Frank Zappa and Alan Watts Philosophy
There have been many times where I have naturally embraced the rat race and norms of society. Often these periods have happened to be the times where I have been most downtrodden. So I have found Zen in the art of being weird and finding this calm is easier said than done. Frank Zappa’s infamous quote, “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible” has always resonated with my true self and anytime I've tried to conform I've felt intense anxiety, boredom and felt like a waste of time.
One day after a couple of years of working the regular 9-5 job and joining back with society after living a counter-cultural lifestyle with Phish I listened to hours and hours of Alan Watts speeches. He introduced me to the “real me” which can be hard to find when you're stuck on society’s so-called ladder of achievement and letting my ego get in the way. So after hearing his words of Zen Buddhism and letting go, I decided my life should follow suite. So I quit my job and put my artistic abilities to use. Through my network of friends and the visuals and writings that I created when I did it just for “fun” seemingly turned into a career. An occupation of being weird has made me realize that life is too short to believe the success ladder is all there is and what really matters is just enjoying the moments.
I used to live in a room full of mirrors; all I could see was me. I take my spirit, and I crash my mirrors, now the whole world is here for me to see. —Jimi Hendrix
The moments I embrace the most are the times where I am rather strange and downright weird. I believe that those who embrace being weird will find themselves, realize who they are, and climb the ladder of success in a more beneficial way. History shows that great people are some of the weirdest souls around, and it is because they free themselves from the chains of society’s expectations. The time to embrace your strange tendencies and awkward moments is now and from there you too can be an innovative mover. So get out there and shake what your Mama gave ya!
Jamie Redman is a writer at Bitcoin.com who has written hundreds of articles on decentralized technologies and liberty. You can also follow him on Twitter @Jamiecrypto