outlier

The most terrible loneliness is not the kind that comes from being alone, but the kind that comes from being misunderstood. ~ George Orwell

It’s that feeling of standing in a crowded room, nodding and smiling, but knowing nobody’s really seeing you. It’s like you’re stuck behind glass, visible, but untouchable. Your soul’s doing elite ballet, and the world’s still scrolling.

The irony? You’re surrounded by people - friends, family, colleagues - but it might as well be a cardboard cutout parade. You nod, smile, go through the motions, but inside? It’s crickets. Your quirks, your dreams, the parts of you that are raw and real? Unseen, unrecognised, uncelebrated. You might start wondering if you should just edit yourself, shrink to fit the box the world’s built for you. But here’s the kicker: even if you do, the loneliness doesn’t go away. It just grows sharper. Because now, not only does no one else see you, but you start losing sight of you, too.

square peg in a round hole

That kind of loneliness? It’s not about missing people - it’s about missing connection. It’s the craving for someone to get it, to understand your soul’s weird little language. But real talk: if you’re constantly bending and twisting to fit in, you’re going to wake up one day and realise you don’t even recognise yourself. You’ll have shrunk so many times to avoid rocking the boat, you’ll be practically invisible. A ghost of your real self, drifting around in a fog of other people’s expectations.

But here’s the truth bomb: the right people - the ones who actually get you - won’t flinch at your mess or your madness. They won’t need the filtered version; they’ll see you in all your chaos and call it magic. Until then? Value your own weirdness. Celebrate the parts of you that don’t fit the mould. Own your quirks like they’re couture.

forget fitting in and start standing out

Sometimes, being an outlier is just the universe’s way of keeping you from blending in with the wrong crowd. It’s a filter system: the noise fades, the real ones stick around. The journey might get lonely, but it’s better to stand alone than be surrounded by people who don’t get it. In the quiet of your own company, you begin to observe the parts of yourself that are pure gold. The parts of yourself that never needed approval in the first place, the same parts that others are in awe of and the jealous types feel the need to denigrate.

So, here’s the move: stay obsessed with your purpose. Be so wrapped up in building your life that you don’t even notice who’s watching - or who’s not. The right ones will show up when you stop shrinking and start shining. Until then? Keep building. Keep shining. And don't wait for the world to catch up. Hunter Thompson once said, "We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and in spite of True Romance magazines, we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely - at least, not all the time - but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness." 

keep your fire burning, the right ones will find the light

Even in that raw, aching loneliness, there’s a quiet strength. A kind of rebellion in staying true to who you are when the world doesn’t seem to notice or when frenemies try to dim your light. Holding onto your essence when it feels invisible? That’s courage. That’s grit. It’s refusing to let misunderstanding snuff out your fire. You might feel unseen, but the truth is, your uniqueness - the quirks, the complexity, the untamed spirit - that’s your superpower. Somewhere out there, someone will value that. But until they do, you have to value that.

Because here’s the secret: the journey of being an outlier is really a masterclass in self-understanding. It teaches you to stand tall in your own skin, even if the world isn’t ready to see it. It forces you to find peace in your own company, to nurture the parts of you that feel lonely and unacknowledged. And when you finally stop shrinking to fit other people’s expectations, you create space for the right ones - the ones who see you, hear you, and get you. And trust me, they will.

So, hold on. Keep your light alive. Refuse to become a shadow just because the world’s not paying attention or your light shines too brightly according to some. Your true self deserves to take up space, to be seen, celebrated, and damn well admired. And while the wait might feel long, the beauty of being fully known is worth every second.

Because your people - the ones who truly understand your soul - are out there. And when they find you, that lonely ache will finally fade. You’ll realise you were never meant to be hidden. You were always meant to shine. And you'll discover, we're not alone, in fact we're all one.

The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed. ~ Ernest Hemingway