Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Part One: Know Yourself
• Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Finding Your Uniqueness
• Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Getting Started
• Tips
• Warnings

There are many people who want to be part of the crowd. If you want to be a leader and stand out from the crowd, then this article is for you. It's so great to feel original and unique.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Part One: Know Yourself

1. 1 Know that you are unique. For starters, know that you are no longer like anyone else on the planet. Of course, some people differ a little more, but we all have a unique set of skills and characteristics that affect our perception of reality. You are not like everyone else in that you are a human being.
   • There is no point in labels. Even wanting to be different is not something that can actually be achieved. Cultural change will show you that everyone has their own ideas of what is normal. Instead, accept that you are already unique and work on yourself. Who you are?
2. 2 Find yourself and be yourself. To be as different as possible, it's important to be yourself, not a living copy of someone else. If you don't know who you are, the process can seem a little intimidating. To be yourself, you need to find yourself. Do you know what you are? Who are you? Who are you when no one is around?
   • It's also important to love yourself. If you are uncomfortable with being who you are, you will inevitably try to become someone else - or at least someone who you are not in order to please others.
3. 3 Spend some time alone. Today it is considered normal to constantly expose ourselves to the attack of stimuli - on the screen or people around us. To get to the bottom of who you are and what makes you different, spend some time alone.Disconnect from everything. What are you left with? Reflect on what is important to you.
   • We are constantly being told what to wear, what to eat, what to say, how to look, how to behave, what to read, what to watch ... you get the idea. Be alone and suddenly you find yourself unsupervised. It will be a strange feeling to sit and think about what you would not miss if you did not have to dress / eat / say / do / read all of this. Think about those aspects of your environment that have been imposed on you and those that openly consume you.
4. 4 Know what you want. Be very careful if you really want to be different. Maybe you're just being friends with people who don't suit you, and that little voice in your head got it wrong. What does it mean to you to be different?
   • What do you take as the norm? What is the same in people? Each individual's understanding of what it means to be different ... is different. Is it what they look like? Are they working? They say? Do they dream?
5. 5 Understand how you want to be different. Once you have highlighted what makes you different from others, how do you want to highlight it? If you're friends with people who only eat protein bars and wear pink on Wednesdays, how do you want to stand out? You can be different in many different ways.

Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Finding Your Uniqueness

1. 1 Pay attention to your surroundings. A Japanese person who shakes hands instead of bowing will stand out in their culture, but look quite normal in the West. Reading the Torah for fun may be normal in certain circles, while others will read Cosmopolitan. To learn how to be different, you need to consider your environment. Think of three words that can describe yours. Now think about the antonyms.
   • Back to Mean Girls. Three words to describe the environment? Superficial. Vain. And, unsurprisingly, cheesy. Want to be different from dolls? You need to be a thinker, not think about appearance, be nice. However, cute behavior in other circles is completely normal (and to be expected). What does your social circle look like?
2. 2 Watch. Take a step back for a moment and just watch. How do people behave? How do they communicate with each other (friends, strangers, cashiers, lovers)? What assumptions are they making? How do they dress? If you suddenly entered, how would you be different from them?
   • There is definitely an element of shocking in this. Something as casual as flamboyant clothing can make you stand out from the crowd in a coffee shop on a dreary day.
   • You can change your behavior a little - if the cashier in the cafe asks you what you would like to order, instead of immediately answering, say: “Hmmmm. Not sure. How are you doing?"
   • You can go the wrong way - be noisy, throw objects, start dancing on tables - this will certainly be different from normal social behavior. But you may also be asked to leave.
3. 3 Do what you like. You will love things that are trendy and outdated. This is fine! If you do what you like, you will have your own unique combination. Maybe you enjoy baking, Jiu-Jitsu and second-hand shopping. If you like it, you will feel it right away.
   • You shouldn't care what others think or do. Do you want to sing a song from Jekyll and Hyde in karaoke in German? Excellent. Forward. Do you want to buy an Abercrombie & Fitch bag? If it makes you happy, why not. Just make sure it's not someone else telling you.
4. 4 Try new things. We are taught from childhood to be part of a group. Thus, we are constantly surrounded by things that others have already approved. These things are good - they can get in the way of trying new things - but it's also important to try things that seem completely out of the ordinary to other people. How else can you find out what you like and what you don't?
5. 5 Go beyond the line. From a very young age, we were brainwashed to integrate into society. We wear clothes, eat appliances, go to school, do what our gender is supposed to do, and so on and so forth. It is difficult to understand that there is something outside of these norms. There are lines to cross. It's just that it's not clear to most of us.
   • Think about how you would behave if you were in a dinosaur costume. No one can see your face or body, and you are in a dinosaur costume. All of a sudden, you start bursting into rooms and waving your tiny paws and scaring people just because you can do it. You can behave the same way in real life. But you chose a different path ... Why?
6. 6 Be absurd. If the dinosaur example isn't enough for you, you don't even have to step over the metaphorical line with your metaphorical feet. If you want to walk around school with headphones on and dance like you're in a Selena Gomez music video, the point is "you can." Whether you want to wear a Texas hat or stand in front of a supermarket all night, "you can." (Doesn't mean you should try, but you definitely can.)
   • Some will be unhappy with your dinosaur costume, public dancing, and fancy hats. Know that you will be reluctant to cross the line. If you can handle it, go ahead. But remember that many people disapprove of anything that seems "abnormal" to them.

Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Getting Started

1. 1 Shake hands with your enemies. This is a way to behave differently with people. In a good way, of course! And let's see where it takes you - who knows, next time you deal with a policeman, shake his hand, ask how he is doing and see if he writes you a fine! Of course, he can write it out.
   • Another way to be different from others is to be friendly with those around you. How many people do you know who are literally friendly with everyone? Most likely not very much. It's hard! We always judge others and divide them into types. Instead, be friendly to those you never thought of as friends before. You will be different and you will learn a lot!
2. 2 Dress for yourself. It is very easy to believe what society considers beautiful and attractive. While it's almost impossible to avoid (without having to sew your own clothes), use fashion as a dining room - grab what you like and leave. Do you like a certain trend? Excellent. Do you like vintage rain boots more than ugg boots? Great - maybe your mom has a pair in her closet for you.
3. 3 Don't fall for the bait. It's hard to think of a few examples of what everyone is doing. You might say, for example, “listen to unpopular music,” but a lot of people do it. However, we are one on one thing. We sooooo love drama. If you want to be different, avoid it! Don't let her become a part of your life. And definitely don't start it yourself!
   • We all play games because this is how people communicate. A friend asks us if we are angry, and we answer “no” so as not to start a quarrel, even if in fact it is not. You do something to get attention, we lead people, we use tactics to get what we want, even if it's not very right. If you can recognize these urges, try not to give in. Honesty and sincerity are traits to be proud of, and they are much less common than they should.
4. 4 Say what everyone else thinks. One of the games people play is not to say what we think. We are afraid to stand out, speak out, offend someone, or simply embarrass ourselves. There will be times when the whole room will think about the same thing, but no one will say anything. Be the one who will not be silent!
   • Some people are driven into the framework of their image or impression. They are too preoccupied with what others think and not being themselves to act sincerely.If you catch yourself that you cannot do something just because there is someone else nearby, do it anyway! (Within the framework of the law, of course!)
5. 5 Don't try to impress. If you have not noticed, we have already drawn your attention to the fact that someone else's opinion does not mean anything. People are too busy thinking about how to impress others and how they are perceived - try not to make this mistake. More often than not, we make the best impression when we are not trying to impress anyone!
   • Do you know the saying that love comes when you don't expect it? And there is. Instead of presenting an image to the world, present yourself. This is much better and much more original.
6. 6 Know that the world is based on opposites. Nothing is what it seems. So many people try to be different. How all that in the end all become the same! Being quiet can mean that when you speak, people can hear you louder. When you're not trying to attract a guy or a girl, you attract them. So trying to be different may not get you anywhere.
   • A squirrel (or dinosaur) costume and walking around town doesn't necessarily make you different. In a way, it's like saying, “Look at me!”, Just like wearing a short skirt and stiletto heels. So the next time you're trying to stand out, think about what you really think. Are you doing something different?
7. 7 Know that you will hit the bumps. Society does not accept what is not possible. People are valued for their style and beauty - only a few are appreciated for crossing the line. These people may not welcome you with open arms. And that's okay! You don't need them. But you need to know that this will happen. That way you will be ready for reality.
   • Aristotle said: "If you want to avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing and be nothing." This is something to remember. You will be criticized if you decide to go outside the box. Think of it as something good! When you receive criticism, you do something. You are noticed. You show people something new. Excellent! You are no longer like everyone else.

Tips

• Remember that knowing yourself is a time-consuming process. The person you were at 15 will be completely different at 22, or 49, or 97! Our needs and interests change with age. The things that were important to us then sometimes don't matter anymore in the present. Wisdom replaces ambition as we develop.
• Be open minded, or at least try to be. Learn to see the world from different perspectives (and not necessarily from a human perspective). Don't be afraid of those who challenge prejudices and values.
• Try to be in harmony with yourself. Surprise that people don't like your weirdness is obvious stupidity on your part. If you do not want to catch surprised looks and listen to comments, you will have to keep your unusualness to yourself.
• Don't act like you are better than those who are no different. Many people actually like what they wear and what TV shows they watch. Remember, popular things are popular for some reason. Don't make fun of them, you might like them too. You can admire the humor of How I Met Your Mother or fall in love with The Plain White's songs.

Warnings

• Don't put labels on yourself. Just because you feel like a gangsta doesn't mean you can't love ballet.
• Note that when asking someone about how to be different, you are looking for a reason to do what you want. Asking someone about how to be different, you will NOT be like everyone else, because you will be like the person who tries to be different. A bit paradoxical, isn't it?
• Being just anyone in order to seem strange is often very unpleasant and superficial. It doesn't necessarily help you see the world in a new way.
• Remember, being weird doesn't necessarily mean being better than normal. All people are strange in their own way, even if they adhere to the rules of society.