Why Being 'Misunderstood' Is The Best Thing That's Ever Happened To You

The term “misunderstood” itself is a subjective one. I mean, what might not be understandable to some, for others, might seem plain as day.

In many cases, the man who gets labeled as “misunderstood” is the one who’s most in tune with himself.

Today, realness can stick out like a sore thumb, especially when the rest of the world appears to be caught in between smoke, mirrors and photo filters.

It feels like everyone is constantly trying to be someone or appear some way, striving to uphold an impression of normal – one perpetuated by trends and hashtags – and those who fail to play along are seen as outcasts.

Just because you fail to adhere to society’s method of doing things, however, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re incapable of being understood.

Sure, people might not personally relate to all the specific things you find interesting – or choose to engage in – but who said they’re supposed to?

When people are dubbed “misunderstood,” most of the time, this translates to them deviating from the norm.

You know, they’ll be the ones listening to indie music, watching independent films – generally being, you know, independent people.

When people choose to be independent and follow their own instincts, it shows a confidence in themselves. It shows a security within themselves.

When people choose to express themselves truly – and this deviates from society’s construct for how they should be expressing themselves – the easy thing to do is view them as deviants and plead ignorance – call them misunderstood.

But, like I said, “misunderstood” is subjective to who is doing the understanding, so to speak. Just because one chooses not to sway with whatever the masses are preoccupied with doesn’t mean he or she is at all conflicted.

In fact, here’s why being “misunderstood” can be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.

You appeal to a wider variety of people.

You never truly fit into one, clear-cut group of people. You weren’t athletic enough to be a jock, and you never enjoyed drinking beer enough to pledge a fraternity.

You have always sort of drifted in and out of different groups of people, depending on what inspired you on a given morning. This allowed you to meet a large network of people.

You never really wanted to settle in with just one group of friends; you always viewed that as limiting.

At the same time, you were never lonely, given your ability to interact and share interests with a broader variety of individuals.

Sure, it might be difficult for you to identify with one specific “clique” in particular; you realize different aspects of your being will appeal to different groups of people – and that’s always been fine with you.

People won't be as likely to take advantage of you.

Throughout your life, people have always mentioned you’re “hard to read.” While you’re not entirely sure what this even means, you’re not necessarily complaining either because it’s prevented others from taking advantage of you.

You never wanted to be easy to read, especially in business situations. When people can gauge your behavior –  and presuppose how you’d react to certain outcomes – they can gain leverage on you.

For this reason, you really don’t care to explain yourself all that much to others – regardless of how “misunderstood” you may appear to the general public.

At the end of the day, as long as you’re at peace with who you are, you don’t really worry too much about what others might think.

You're never worried to be yourself.

The best part about seeming “misunderstood” is that – in most cases – you’ll understand yourself perfectly fine.

Sure, you may appear avant-garde to the majority of your peers; it’s also not done by any great accident. You’re simply being yourself.

Humans are weird by nature. I’ve always believed the ones who appear the most normal are also the ones hiding the most.

Being “weird” doesn’t always convert to being “misunderstood.” In reality, it usually coincides with being the most transparent – the most raw.

And for this reason, you never find yourself trying to be someone you’re not.

Certain trends can strike the fancy of an entire nation, yet, if they don’t appeal to you, it’s all for naught in your eyes.

You’re comfortable with who you are. You could give a f*ck what anyone else is doing (or saying for that matter).

That's true freedom.

You filter out close-minded people.

You know you’re not misunderstood. You know you might be a bit different – a bit difficult, at times – but you also realize at any given moment, your intentions could be easily distinguished. By the right people, that is.

To that end, you know those people who “understand” you (without having to label you as some societal derelict) are the ones you should be spending your time around.

It’s great being labeled as “misunderstood” to most because it acts as a filter for close-minded people.

Still, most people who call others “misunderstood” do so without having tried to understand them first.

The entire state of “misunderstanding” is a temporary one, one that can be solved with just a slight amount of effort.

After all, if the people around you don’t care to take the effort in understanding you – well, then why would you even care to be understood by them?