Weirdness is doing things differently and the results can be very positive, both in your confidence and in the results you can achieve. Tapping into your natural weirdness, will aid you with creative thinking and problem-solving along with just breaking out of that normal everyday routine of job boredom and stagnation.
Weirdo's in the Workplace
Is body odor protected by freedom of religion? Which bathroom should a trans-sexual use? Is it still sexual harassment if I take advantage of it to get a promotion? Whatever happened to the good old days, when people looked and acted normal, came to work every day, didn’t rock the boat, and stayed until retirement? What about the jerks and bullies at work who demean, criticize, and sap the energy of others, usually their underlings. It could be the notorious bad boss or the jealous coworker, but everyone agrees that they make life miserable for their victims and create a hostile and emotionally stifling environment. These are the -"certified aholes." Caricatured in sitcoms such as The Office, these brutes are too often tolerated until irreparable damage is done to individuals and the organization as a whole.
Is body odor protected by freedom of religion? Which bathroom should a trans-sexual use? Is it still sexual harassment if I take advantage of it to get a promotion? Whatever happened to the good old days, when people looked and acted normal, came to work every day, didn’t rock the boat, and stayed until retirement? What about the jerks and bullies at work who demean, criticize, and sap the energy of others, usually their underlings. It could be the notorious bad boss or the jealous coworker, but everyone agrees that they make life miserable for their victims and create a hostile and emotionally stifling environment. These are the -"certified aholes." Caricatured in sitcoms such as The Office, these brutes are too often tolerated until irreparable damage is done to individuals and the organization as a whole.
Weird Ideas
Weird isn’t bad it is just different and weird approaches to business are completely acceptable when used in the right context. Recruitment of potential employees is a prime example and weird ideas will win today’s young talent, weird ideas for enhancing your company’s image or public relations are just a few where a weird idea could have a huge payoff. Weird ideas when it comes to safety and how the message is conveyed may have a bigger impact then a straight forward message such as "Falling objects can be brutal, so wear your hard hat to protect your noodle." Or "It's better to arrive late in this world than early in the next." These sort of weird messages actually have been shown to last longer in our conscious then your normal everyday sign.
Weird isn’t bad it is just different and weird approaches to business are completely acceptable when used in the right context. Recruitment of potential employees is a prime example and weird ideas will win today’s young talent, weird ideas for enhancing your company’s image or public relations are just a few where a weird idea could have a huge payoff. Weird ideas when it comes to safety and how the message is conveyed may have a bigger impact then a straight forward message such as "Falling objects can be brutal, so wear your hard hat to protect your noodle." Or "It's better to arrive late in this world than early in the next." These sort of weird messages actually have been shown to last longer in our conscious then your normal everyday sign.
Stunts and Stupidity
We aren’t talking about the class clown or placing silly things around the office like lava lamps or some other ridiculous item; being weird at work doesn't mean strutting around with purple hair or elaborate body piercing, we are talking about ideas, concepts and using them to be creative and different in your approach to business. Sometimes when people hear the word 'weird' they think of stupid stunts and the sort of things that give weirdness a bad name. Choosing not to follow "the checklist of normal," being yourself and thinking differently and not being afraid to voice those thoughts, even if it makes you uncomfortable is not a stunt or being stupid, it is rational thought. We succeed by doing something that everyone else says will never work, it means getting over our cultural tendency to say only what we think people want to hear and do only what we think people want us to do.
We aren’t talking about the class clown or placing silly things around the office like lava lamps or some other ridiculous item; being weird at work doesn't mean strutting around with purple hair or elaborate body piercing, we are talking about ideas, concepts and using them to be creative and different in your approach to business. Sometimes when people hear the word 'weird' they think of stupid stunts and the sort of things that give weirdness a bad name. Choosing not to follow "the checklist of normal," being yourself and thinking differently and not being afraid to voice those thoughts, even if it makes you uncomfortable is not a stunt or being stupid, it is rational thought. We succeed by doing something that everyone else says will never work, it means getting over our cultural tendency to say only what we think people want to hear and do only what we think people want us to do.
Weird is a Weird Word
First off no one can really say something is weird because each of us will have our own personal definition of weird and it could be totally different from one person to the next. Someone who is called "weird" by their peers in one place might be called a conformist somewhere else so really the terms "weird" and "normal" are nothing more then words to describe someone or something different from themselves. The word weird is normally used by people in a negative context because if someone calls you weird it's usually because you're saying something or acting different than another person would. People don't know how to handle this so they just respond by saying "You're so weird.” |
Tolerating Odd Ideas
In any industry, new types of thinking need to be encouraged, that means tolerating some bad ideas, and tolerating some odd ideas, so we can sift through them and figure out what might actually be productive. We've been trained since birth to enforce the status quo and our bias is to the many and to please the many and to sell to the many, to be organized and serve the many. We admire politicians based on how many votes they get from the many; we listen to Top 40 radio to hear what the many are also listening to and surprise, the weird are now more important than the many, because the weird are the many.
We used to all watch one of the three big network television stations and take whatever sitcom was fed to us. Now we watch shows about people who remodel bedrooms for $100 or less, cartoons about talking sponges, and documentaries about World War II and virtually anything else someone throws in front of a video camera. TV has gotten weird, and that's good, because we all like different things and think in different ways.
In any industry, new types of thinking need to be encouraged, that means tolerating some bad ideas, and tolerating some odd ideas, so we can sift through them and figure out what might actually be productive. We've been trained since birth to enforce the status quo and our bias is to the many and to please the many and to sell to the many, to be organized and serve the many. We admire politicians based on how many votes they get from the many; we listen to Top 40 radio to hear what the many are also listening to and surprise, the weird are now more important than the many, because the weird are the many.
We used to all watch one of the three big network television stations and take whatever sitcom was fed to us. Now we watch shows about people who remodel bedrooms for $100 or less, cartoons about talking sponges, and documentaries about World War II and virtually anything else someone throws in front of a video camera. TV has gotten weird, and that's good, because we all like different things and think in different ways.
Modern Physics
Physicists argue that we can’t simply rely on our logical sense, because our perceived reality, which is the result of our brains interpretation of various things around us, may not represent the ultimate reality of the Universe. Weirdness in science must be because of our patchy scientific advancement with gaps in our understanding of the nature. There will always be blanks in our understanding of any given issue however perfect we think our knowledge is. Though there will always be a limit to our knowledge both in depth and breadth, we must strive to achieve coherence. A coherent illusion is probably one of the faces of the ultimate reality.
So if we can’t logically connect our observed reality and the proposed weird mathematical theories, and there by achieve coherence, we must assume that the weird theories are really weird. If scientists insist that our universe is fundamentally weird and hence their weird theories (quantum probabilities, speed of light etc) can’t be challenged by logic, and if the public believes them blindly and swears by their words, then the so called science becomes the worst religion in the world.
Physicists argue that we can’t simply rely on our logical sense, because our perceived reality, which is the result of our brains interpretation of various things around us, may not represent the ultimate reality of the Universe. Weirdness in science must be because of our patchy scientific advancement with gaps in our understanding of the nature. There will always be blanks in our understanding of any given issue however perfect we think our knowledge is. Though there will always be a limit to our knowledge both in depth and breadth, we must strive to achieve coherence. A coherent illusion is probably one of the faces of the ultimate reality.
So if we can’t logically connect our observed reality and the proposed weird mathematical theories, and there by achieve coherence, we must assume that the weird theories are really weird. If scientists insist that our universe is fundamentally weird and hence their weird theories (quantum probabilities, speed of light etc) can’t be challenged by logic, and if the public believes them blindly and swears by their words, then the so called science becomes the worst religion in the world.
Modern Inventions
Some of our modern inventions came for weird or crazy ideas and concepts that no one thought would be considered, such as a blanket with sleeves, or what about a phone that you can carry with you that doesn’t need a phone line connected to it. Not a crazy idea now, but it was not so very long ago. The line between crazy and ingenious is often a very thin one, and sometimes ideas that sound great in your head should really only stay there. On the other hand, there are these every day problems we all face, yet no one comes up with a viable solution that could solve them. So maybe, just maybe, one of the crazy inventions out there could actually prove to be useful with time, even if in the beginning they sound plain ridiculous.
Some of our modern inventions came for weird or crazy ideas and concepts that no one thought would be considered, such as a blanket with sleeves, or what about a phone that you can carry with you that doesn’t need a phone line connected to it. Not a crazy idea now, but it was not so very long ago. The line between crazy and ingenious is often a very thin one, and sometimes ideas that sound great in your head should really only stay there. On the other hand, there are these every day problems we all face, yet no one comes up with a viable solution that could solve them. So maybe, just maybe, one of the crazy inventions out there could actually prove to be useful with time, even if in the beginning they sound plain ridiculous.
Ingenuity and a Sense of Humor
The potential for improvements in the most humdrum of our daily acts is where ingenuity and creativity is ever so needed. Even if you don't set out to completely change the world, you can set out to make it a little bit weirder and better. Take a look at just about anything around you, could it use improvement or just be updated. Some of the most absurdly weird inventions came from existing ideas or products that just needed updated with new technology.
Whether you have a job or are looking for one, you should embrace who you are — love the weird you're with —view your authentic personality and thoughts as assets. Your confidence will show, and you'll be better at what you do.
The potential for improvements in the most humdrum of our daily acts is where ingenuity and creativity is ever so needed. Even if you don't set out to completely change the world, you can set out to make it a little bit weirder and better. Take a look at just about anything around you, could it use improvement or just be updated. Some of the most absurdly weird inventions came from existing ideas or products that just needed updated with new technology.
Whether you have a job or are looking for one, you should embrace who you are — love the weird you're with —view your authentic personality and thoughts as assets. Your confidence will show, and you'll be better at what you do.
But it Won't be Easy
If it was easy everyone would be doing it and it wouldn't be worth anything. If we look at people who are great at what they do, whether they're surgeons or baseball pitchers, and we say I wish I could be like them or, 'Show me the step-by-step instructions to be like that,' you would find out, there aren't any. The challenge here is to be your self, be unique, creative and yes weird. Figure out what the problem is and don’t be afraid to fix it even if it seems weird or crazy at the time.
Another article of interest “We Are All a Little Bit Weird” available at Insane Logic, is about the differences between a Healthy Weird and Unhealthy Weird, if you are at all concerned it may be worth reading.
If it was easy everyone would be doing it and it wouldn't be worth anything. If we look at people who are great at what they do, whether they're surgeons or baseball pitchers, and we say I wish I could be like them or, 'Show me the step-by-step instructions to be like that,' you would find out, there aren't any. The challenge here is to be your self, be unique, creative and yes weird. Figure out what the problem is and don’t be afraid to fix it even if it seems weird or crazy at the time.
Another article of interest “We Are All a Little Bit Weird” available at Insane Logic, is about the differences between a Healthy Weird and Unhealthy Weird, if you are at all concerned it may be worth reading.
Above Book
Weirdo's In The Work Place - The author has hit on something here; particularly the fact that it is high time we quit thinking that treating everyone the same is somehow fair. Like it or not, the realities uncovered in this book are just that...real! And if you plan to be a significant player in the workplace of the future, I suggest you take them seriously, because your success depends on it. Available through Amazon, click on the image.
Weirdo's In The Work Place - The author has hit on something here; particularly the fact that it is high time we quit thinking that treating everyone the same is somehow fair. Like it or not, the realities uncovered in this book are just that...real! And if you plan to be a significant player in the workplace of the future, I suggest you take them seriously, because your success depends on it. Available through Amazon, click on the image.
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