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Weird
Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World | Olga Khazan
7 posts | 5 read | 13 to read
In the tradition of Susan Cain's Quiet and Scott Stossel's My Age of Anxiety, Atlantic staff writer Olga Khazan reclaims the concept of "weird" and turns it into a badge of honor rather than a slur, showing how being different -- culturally, socially, physically, or mentally -- can actually be a person's greatest strength. Most of us have at some point in our lives felt like an outsider, sometimes considering ourselves "too weird" to fit in. Growing up as a Russian immigrant in West Texas, Olga Khazan always felt there was something different about her. This feeling has permeated her life, and as she embarked on a science writing career, she realized there were psychological connections between this feeling of being an outsider and both her struggles and successes later in life. She decided to reach out to other people who were unique in their environments to see if they had experienced similar feelings of alienation, and if so, to learn how they overcame them. Weird is based on in-person interviews with many of these individuals, such as a woman who is professionally surrounded by men, a liberal in a conservative area, and a Muslim in a predominantly Christian town. In addition, it provides actionable insights based on interviews with dozens of experts and a review of hundreds of scientific studies. Weird explores why it is that we crave conformity, how that affects people who are different, and what they can do about it. First, the book dives into the history of social norms and why some people hew to them more strictly than others. Next, Khazan explores the causes behind-and the consequences of-social rejection. She then reveals the hidden upsides to being "weird," as well as the strategies that people who are different might use in order to achieve success in a society that values normalcy. Finally, the book follows the trajectories of unique individuals who either decided to be among others just like them; to stay weird; or to dwell somewhere in between. Combining Khazan's own story with those of others and with fascinating takeaways from cutting-edge psychology research, Weird reveals how successful individuals learned to embrace their weirdness, using it to their advantage.
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review
DebbieGrillo
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Pickpick

This is a book for anyone who feels different, not quite like others. It celebrates that difference and shows how other weirdos have embraced their difference.

73 likes4 stack adds
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DebbieGrillo
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"It can feel good not to fit in quite perfectly or to be a little weird... Just like the Indie band stops being cool once everyone you know is listening to it, it sometimes feels better to be in an elite group than a large amorphous crowd."

55 likes2 stack adds
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DebbieGrillo
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🐈‍⬛ Yes! It's eclectic. I'm a high school English teacher, so I'm always journaling with my students.
☠ October has been okay. Better than September, which was a bust.
🧙 Today, I'm grateful for connections with my colleagues. So important!

@eggs #WonderousWednesday

Thanks for the tag @ShelleyBooksie
Want to play @kspenmoll and @FantasyChick

Eggs #1 how wonderful 👌🏼 3y
kspenmoll Thanks for the tag! Positive connections with colleagues are essential- reminds me to be grateful for the staff i work with too! 3y
46 likes2 comments
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Mitch
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Not only did @Come-read-with-me spoil me with books she positively showered me with bookish delights too! Spring time coloured book socks, a proud face mask - telling it like it is and lovely selection of book marks and postcards and pens! And the pens have loving little book charms. Paula is the best ♥️
#litsylovespringswap

Come-read-with-me @mitch The pens made me giggle and the mask just needed to be owned by a book lover! 3y
Crazeedi The pens look awesome! Great gifts!! 3y
AmyG An absolutely lovely swap. 3y
Phaedra I love the bookmarks! The deer one especially 3y
93 likes4 comments
review
CortexVortex
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Mehso-so

I think I had different expectations. This book felt like a long magazine article. Also, I wouldn't consider most people portrayed in this book as weird, but maybe misfits. The author reintroduced some characters in later chapters, and more than once, I've found myself trying to remember who those people were.

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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

Olga Khazan, the author of “Weird”, grows up in Texas, but is originally from Russia. She feels like an outsider and this difference inspires an interest in what makes others different. This “weirdness” in others is explored in vignettes of various experiences, but often seem to be situational. A few illustrated: a female NASCAR driver, a liberal professor in a rural district, little people, a male preschool teacher, & a conservative in California

74 likes2 stack adds
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Decalino
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book but it felt more like an appetizer sampler than a deep dive into the experience of feeling different. Some of the people she talks to don't feel "weird" per se, but are visibly different from the people around them.That seems quite separate from someone whose sense of estrangement from the world is strictly internal. It was all interesting, but didn't feel entirely coherent.