Jean Rostand once said, "Kill one man and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a god." While I like to think of myself as being in the latter category, I can't quite claim to be an accessory to manslaughter. Sometimes I wonder if we all have this problem; that is to say standing out (not committing felonies). I mean with modern technology, killing has become a point/click kind of operation.
But in all sincerity, standing out and fitting in has become a quest of severe significance to those of the modern age. We all feel the pangs of glory, but simultaneously wish not to appear too out of place - an eternal search for an uncomfortable middle ground. In other words, we humans have quite a conundrum on our hands.
ABC Family has recently begun airing the TV show "The Secret Life of an American Teenager." This insightful piece of televised drama will most likely clear up all these questions. However, just in case it falls short, unlikely as that might be, we should consider focusing on these questions ourselves.
In the next few months, you'll move in and start classes. You'll meet new people, probably some old as well and most importantly you'll begin to reassess your social standings - you know, who you talk to, who you appear to talk to and those who you refuse to talk to. With the upperclassmen, that list can get quite large and sifting through can take a serious dedication of time. In other words, socially speaking you'll do your spring cleaning in the fall. Callous as that might sound, it is pretty much the norm at this point.
I guess now the question really is whether picking friends in such a manner is right (proper, ethical, etc.) even if it is common. I don't suppose it's a question I'd want to answer, but at some point someone has to stop asking and start responding. On the bright side, there are so many problems to sort out at the beginning of the school year, you can always procrastinate on a handful of issues almost indefinitely. Of course, there are those of you who never think about these things, and you'll do just fine.
I guess when push comes to shove, or whatever idiomatic expression you fancy, answering the question is not the goal. We all have plenty of work to tackle, so taking time to think alone is an effort to be applauded. In the upcoming year, we all will figure out where we came from and where we are going. So maybe it's not just about fitting in and standing out. As Jim Breuer said in the movie "Half Baked," "I think it's more complex than that."
