“Always refuse to be like the others. The more you become similar to the others the more you will be useless because there are already plenty of the others.”

The struggle to fit in is part of human nature. Who doesn’t want to feel like they belong? However fitting in is more glamorized in our minds than it should be. This quote, by playwright and novelist Mehmet Murat Ildan, reminds us that being like everybody else actually renders us useless.

This makes complete sense.

Being a replication of others–others’ likes, dislikes, ideas, manner of speech, style, etc.–means you have nothing new to bring to the table, i.e. the world. But the more you are who you are, the more your unique qualities can shine in the lives of those around you and beyond.