Maybe it's just me, but I distinctly remember my freshman year in high school when the most uncool thing you could do was to try and define yourself or others. Everyone wanted to be different and unique, be it through style of clothes, taste in music, or the books you carried around to read for recreation.
Lately, though, it seems like people have been trying harder and harder to define themselves for others.
For instance, simply by glancing at my Facebook, one would find out that I am a Libertarian, I hate Fall Out Boy, I don't like Ben Stiller movies, my hair is cut quite short in a "hipster" style, and I steal all of my music and movies.
What happened to being pissed off when people assumed things about us? What happened to people demanding that people get to know them before making a judgment? What happened to wanting to meet both people who are like us and not like us?
Without attempting to sound better than others, I at least like to think that I attempt to attract diverse people. Of course, I like to have at least one thing in common with everyone, but otherwise, I like to broaden my horizons and find out about how other people live their lives.
I don't mean to belittle people who are proud of who they are - I'm proud of who I am. I want people to know all of those things listed above about me. But I don't want those things to define me and be a put off for some and a turn on for others. I want people to get to know me in depth.
So maybe it's time we dropped the protective likes and dislikes; the shield of superficial personality traits. Meet people and decide for yourself if they're your cup of tea or not. Maybe you'll find that the quirks and oddities about that person are what make you want to get to know them. Or maybe you'll find that the sound of their voice is enough to make you want to punch them in the face.
Either way, we shouldn't hide behind the bumper stickers we've created for ourselves. Don't make it easy for people to judge you. Intrigue them; give them just enough to make them wonder "What else is there to this person?"
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