The only part I disagree with is the framing of value in being remembered, or popular on social media, or successful in popular media. Which may be decent shorthand for valuable experiences, but also part of the problem.
I had mixed feelings about that too, but ultimately, I think there's value in being remembered by the people who matter to you (and the ones who don't, to be honest, depending on how much you want distinction). There are valuable experiences that could arise if you're the first to come to someone's mind.
Not sure if I will be able to post this - but I spent day with a dear female friend whose husband died, and she had to go to Funeral Home and make arrangements - get Death Certificate, file gov. reports re. Death, make cremation arrangements, etc., etc. She dreaded going, asked me to go with her. Our brilliant weird guy died - her husband and my friend of 50 years. And you are so right. We spoke of his weird charm, and eccentric family - crazy memories and stories we all keep secret. And the modern weirdness that I didn't even know about. We shared stories of Weird... Know where word comes from? It's from old Welsh, means "path", as in you follow your "weird", as you move thru life. Trick is to know what your own "weird" is. It will be different from everyone else's...
I think that's why questioning assumptions matters so much. Most assumptions never feel like assumptions. They just feel normal until you meet someone who sees the world differently.
To me this was first and foremost a reminder to dare to be authentic.
It’s an ancient human fear to be “left behind” by the flock so it’s natural why people are hesitant to stand out (read: negatively or to the judgment of others).
Social media and the arising of the online “ME”-marketplace where everyone wants to project perfection outward has strengthened that fear in my view.
But at least today - contrary to 30,000 years ago - being judged is not equal to imminent death nor abandonment.
As such, that’s already an argument for giving it a try.
Don’t be weird to be weird, be weird to open the door to being you without the fear of being weird.
Love this! With this trendy society and social media pressures people are so afraid of originality until it is validated with power or social status. It’s sad. We all should be our own and dress how we please. Why conform? These pressures that once were only limited to school are now bleeding into adulthood. With the rise of influences repeating the same content, brainwashing all to be just how they are.
Enjoyed the post! QQ on one of the Montaigne “normal” facts about a wedding’s success being measured by how many of the groom’s friends the bride slept with. Couldn’t track down any references to it. Genuinely interested in understanding where you learned this.
It's most likely the Marind, a Papuan hunter gatherer tribe that had fertility problems due to their marital practice of having most close relatives of the husband (generally 6-12 men) have sex with the new wife on their wedding night.
This was a recipe for spreading STI's that impacted fertility.
I only discovered Montaigne earlier this year. He was a fascinating character who nearly 500 years ago struggled with many of the same questions we think about now. I'd highly recommend Sarah Bakewell's book How to Live as an introduction to the man and a fascinating read.
Thanks for the post, some good thought provoking points there.
The claim that Michel de Montaigne created a "list of normal is true" in 1570 is false. Montaigne did not write, publish, or conceptualize a specific "list of normal."Instead, this is a widely shared internet misattribution. The actual historical facts surrounding Montaigne and the year 1570 are quite different:What he actually did: In 1570, Montaigne sold his position as a magistrate in the Bordeaux Parliament and retired to his estate, the Château de Montaigne.The start of his writing: It was around this time—specifically in the early 1570s—that he began writing his famous Essays. These were intended to record his own character, thoughts, and "humours," not to provide a standardized checklist of what is "normal"
What we call “weird” often isn’t valuable simply because it’s different. Its deeper function is that it expands the boundaries of our existing world model. When something repeatedly challenges what we thought was possible, our model gradually changes, and what once felt strange can eventually become normal.
But not every expansion is welcomed. Some forms of “weirdness” don’t just challenge individual expectations—they challenge the structures built upon those expectations. Throughout history, many ideas were resisted not because they were false, but because accepting them threatened existing authority, institutions, or systems of power.
Whether society accepts something new depends not only on whether it is true, but also on what existing structures that new idea begins to destabilize.
The only part I disagree with is the framing of value in being remembered, or popular on social media, or successful in popular media. Which may be decent shorthand for valuable experiences, but also part of the problem.
Ahh that wasn’t my point Alex, I’ll try to make it clearer.
The point is that if you’re hiding who you are to make people like you, they will forget what you’re doing anyway, so it’s lose-lose.
We’re sacrificing ourself — for nothing.
That’s not to say the inverse though.
We shouldn’t sacrifice ourself to be remembered. That would be a pyrrhic victory.
I had mixed feelings about that too, but ultimately, I think there's value in being remembered by the people who matter to you (and the ones who don't, to be honest, depending on how much you want distinction). There are valuable experiences that could arise if you're the first to come to someone's mind.
Love this so much! It’s true in dating too. Show up as your true weird self so that the one who loves your particular brand of weirdness can find you.
Thank you Mack for this article. Earlier i used to read and keep quiet (It was a normal for me), now i star commenting on every post that i like.
Love this! Forwarded it to several secretly abnormal people.
Came for the title, stayed for Zack. What a legend.
Had to read your name twice
You’re just too normal dude 😀
Not sure if I will be able to post this - but I spent day with a dear female friend whose husband died, and she had to go to Funeral Home and make arrangements - get Death Certificate, file gov. reports re. Death, make cremation arrangements, etc., etc. She dreaded going, asked me to go with her. Our brilliant weird guy died - her husband and my friend of 50 years. And you are so right. We spoke of his weird charm, and eccentric family - crazy memories and stories we all keep secret. And the modern weirdness that I didn't even know about. We shared stories of Weird... Know where word comes from? It's from old Welsh, means "path", as in you follow your "weird", as you move thru life. Trick is to know what your own "weird" is. It will be different from everyone else's...
I think that's why questioning assumptions matters so much. Most assumptions never feel like assumptions. They just feel normal until you meet someone who sees the world differently.
I love the story about Zack.
To me this was first and foremost a reminder to dare to be authentic.
It’s an ancient human fear to be “left behind” by the flock so it’s natural why people are hesitant to stand out (read: negatively or to the judgment of others).
Social media and the arising of the online “ME”-marketplace where everyone wants to project perfection outward has strengthened that fear in my view.
But at least today - contrary to 30,000 years ago - being judged is not equal to imminent death nor abandonment.
As such, that’s already an argument for giving it a try.
Don’t be weird to be weird, be weird to open the door to being you without the fear of being weird.
Excellent essay!
Love this! With this trendy society and social media pressures people are so afraid of originality until it is validated with power or social status. It’s sad. We all should be our own and dress how we please. Why conform? These pressures that once were only limited to school are now bleeding into adulthood. With the rise of influences repeating the same content, brainwashing all to be just how they are.
Enjoyed the post! QQ on one of the Montaigne “normal” facts about a wedding’s success being measured by how many of the groom’s friends the bride slept with. Couldn’t track down any references to it. Genuinely interested in understanding where you learned this.
It's most likely the Marind, a Papuan hunter gatherer tribe that had fertility problems due to their marital practice of having most close relatives of the husband (generally 6-12 men) have sex with the new wife on their wedding night.
This was a recipe for spreading STI's that impacted fertility.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marind_people
Same. I'm curious about this
I only discovered Montaigne earlier this year. He was a fascinating character who nearly 500 years ago struggled with many of the same questions we think about now. I'd highly recommend Sarah Bakewell's book How to Live as an introduction to the man and a fascinating read.
Thanks for the post, some good thought provoking points there.
Great article. Most people (including myself) avoid bringing out their weirdness and uniqueness as it would not « fit in ».
Also, our human uniqueness is what will differentiate us from the AI algorithms.
Stay Weird!. Thank you so much George❤️
That was a cracker George 👌💪
Stay weird 🙏
The claim that Michel de Montaigne created a "list of normal is true" in 1570 is false. Montaigne did not write, publish, or conceptualize a specific "list of normal."Instead, this is a widely shared internet misattribution. The actual historical facts surrounding Montaigne and the year 1570 are quite different:What he actually did: In 1570, Montaigne sold his position as a magistrate in the Bordeaux Parliament and retired to his estate, the Château de Montaigne.The start of his writing: It was around this time—specifically in the early 1570s—that he began writing his famous Essays. These were intended to record his own character, thoughts, and "humours," not to provide a standardized checklist of what is "normal"
I think there’s another layer here.
What we call “weird” often isn’t valuable simply because it’s different. Its deeper function is that it expands the boundaries of our existing world model. When something repeatedly challenges what we thought was possible, our model gradually changes, and what once felt strange can eventually become normal.
But not every expansion is welcomed. Some forms of “weirdness” don’t just challenge individual expectations—they challenge the structures built upon those expectations. Throughout history, many ideas were resisted not because they were false, but because accepting them threatened existing authority, institutions, or systems of power.
Whether society accepts something new depends not only on whether it is true, but also on what existing structures that new idea begins to destabilize.