A teen girl dares to wear a funky outfit to school that does not consist of skinny jeans, Uggs, or anything from Aeropostale. Her peers ask, 'What the heck are you wearing?', but she smiles and feels confident about her look. A 15-year-old boy who is quite popular and the captain of the basketball team has a secret passion for writing poetry. Even though his friends think poetry is nerdy, the boy continues to write his lyrical words and shares them with others. This girl and boy have something in common: they both show signs of individuality.

Being an individual is easy to want, but hard to attain. Teens nowadays only want to fit in, not to stand out. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines individuality as 'total character peculiar to and distinguishing an individual from others'. Being an individual is described as 'peculiar'. Not many people want to feel peculiar. They want to feel normal, just like everybody else. Individuality is a wonderful thing, though, that can only be accomplished by loving yourself.

'There's room for everybody on the planet to be creative and conscious if you are your own person. If you're trying to be like somebody else, then there isn't.' That quote was said by Tori Amos, and it is so true. There's no room on this earth for another lackadaisical Joe Schmo. When everybody wears the same clothes, has the same hairstyle, talks about the same things, and has the same beliefs, all the kids in the school hallway just blend together into one blob of boredom. That is why individuality is so important. No one wants to live a totally predictable life.

No one who hates themselves will be a true individual. If you dislike yourself, why on earth would you want others to dislike you for being diiferent? Someone who loves themselves and embraces their flaws will achieve being an individual. If you are confident about yourself, you can feel comfortable standing out. You can glow from within, as if saying to the world: Here I am! This is me, and I'm going to shine. You may not dress in popular clothes, you may not have the new iPhone, and you might be a huge geek that joined math club, but it's okay. You can be yourself without worrying about others. Who really gives a crap what they think? Most likely, they're jealous because they are not strong enough to be an individual.


Flaws should be seen as a blessing, not a curse. They remind us that we are all human, and not being good at something gives others who are good at it a chance to shine. There will always be some people who don't care to be different; who just conform every time a trend changes. But you don't have to be one of those people. You can stand out, feel proud, and be a true individual. Be peculiar and distinguish yourself from others. And always remember this: "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than to be absolutely boring." (Marilyn Monroe)