“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.”

I admit that I have wasted far too much of my life preoccupied about what others think of me. I won't wear a certain outfit, or go to a certain 'club' or post a certain photo because I'm paranoid on other people's opinions. I am also not alone in this, and it's only been recently that I've woken up and seen that other people's opinions on you seldom matter (unless you need to get an important job, then I'd say that's the exception!!!) and that by living up to everyone else's expectations you are never truly fulfilling your own.

Green Day- making weird cool since 1987

I think the next question is 'Why?', why are we living in a world where everyone is so judgmental? Where people won't speak to someone or associate with someone based upon their looks or perhaps the prejudices already surrounding said individual? It's not that we have to like everyone- I surely don't like that many people in long doses, but we are isolating ourselves by refusing to tolerate others based upon worries with no basis. I was taught this thought process by someone else, who taught me to stop worrying about things which quite frankly are irrelevant and when you extrapolate backwards, have no rational reasoning behind the worrying anyway! So next time you feel yourself paranoid about something, seriously ask yourself how much it will affect you- because 99% of the time it won't have any impairing consequences upon you and if anyone else seems bothered about whatever it is- a book you're reading or shoes you're wearing, ask them WHY it is such a concern to them. We need to adopt this sort of attitude, because I remember being at school and others would condemn fellow peers outfit choices or hairstyles, and for what? What did they gain except belittling that other person and heightening their insecurity levels to maximum? The moment we stop caring about the things which don't really matter, is the moment we can begin to focus on the things which really do matter!

So in this crazy mystery that is life, find your song and dance to it, be completely at ease with who you are, but also accept other people for who they are- good or bad.