Whose life is it!?
Jordanian Youth between social acceptance and self-worth
Hamdi Yasin

What drives us to rely on social acceptance as a replacement for self-worth!!…Why are we always on this dragging-on search for a group or a clique fit in? Why cant we just be ourselves and yet, find the comfort we seek and be socially-accepted as well?

Comfort!! What an elusive word! Comfort is our oblivious zone, free of any thoughts deeper than a Britney Spears song. While comfort may promote stability, does this ensure us happiness? If we live in a world where we are too afraid to go beyond what our measly standards of fulfillment are, would anything moving ever be accomplished?

On a smaller scale, we as youth know the feeling of comfort all too well: the security of our close-knit groups of friends, the thoughtless acts of disrespect towards those of whom do not qualify to have the aura of the elite, the mask of trendy clothes to clone ourselves, the beat of poppy commercialized music to please everyone's ears but our own. Sure, there is pressure to adhere to the beliefs and fads of the moment, but is that really an excuse not to think with our own minds?

Often, condemning others for their differences only points the finger in the direction of the accuser. The last time I checked, we were all different in one way or another. There really is no "normal." This norm, as they call it, is only a socially-accepted fabrication. It is up to the individual to define and interpret what normal is; not for the rest of humanity, but solely for themselves.Normal for one person may be dressing fashionable, listening to popular music, and doing what is generally accepted through our society. However, this may not suit the next person down the line.
So the question remains: "What is right for me?"

At the risk of sounding corny, I believe the first step in this definitive process is through self-acceptance.Make your own mold instead of conforming to some cheesy cover model. Before any sense of togetherness is invoked, we must learn to live with our own differences to enable us to live with others'.