Ask yourself…
“Is there anything I value or enjoy that others might find weird?”
“Would I stop valuing or enjoying it if others judged me for it?”
As my lifelong friend would say: Marinate on that.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog article.
Who Wants to Be Weird?
“Fitting in” is deeply woven into society’s fabric. It’s part of our survival instincts. For much of human history, not fitting in could mean exclusion, and exclusion could mean death.
Thankfully, that’s not the case today. Still, the instinct remains: standing out, being different, or seeming “weird” can feel threatening. The pull toward conformity is strong, and strangeness is often treated as something to avoid.
One of the most common fears for people with social anxiety is being judged or labeled as “strange.” (See our earlier blog article discussing this: Small Shifts, Big Relief: How to Calm Your Body, Connect with Others, and Conquer Social Anxiety.)
But what if strangeness wasn’t just something to fear? What if being “weird” could be reframed as a strength?
Comedy, Awkwardness and Opportunity
Consider comedians like Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, or Larry David: performers who thrive on awkwardness. Their careers are built on making discomfort funny.
In his 2017 USC commencement speech, Will Ferrell shared how he discovered the power of leaning into weirdness. While in college, he had a work-study job that allowed him to slip away from time to time. He’d occasionally crash classes in character, just to make his friends laugh.
One day, dressed as a janitor with gloves, goggles, a dangling cigarette, and a bucket of cleaning supplies, he interrupted a literature lecture. He announced he’d been sent to clean up vomit.
The professor that day? Ronald Gottesman: an esteemed scholar and co-editor of the Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ferrell thought for sure he’d get in trouble. Instead, Gottesman loved it. He even invited Ferrell to return and repeat the act during future lectures, playing along each time.
What began as a prank became a defining moment. Ferrell discovered that being weird and awkward could be not only entertaining but also meaningful—and, as it turned out, a foundation for a highly successful career.
Genius, Strangeness and Resistance
“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” —Albert Einstein
Einstein is now a cultural icon, synonymous with genius, but during his lifetime, his ideas were considered radical, even bizarre. His theories faced skepticism and criticism, and his absentminded, aloof personality made him seem odd to many.
It took four years for his theory of Special Relativity to gain traction in the scientific community. Yet by 1921, Einstein had won the Nobel Prize in Physics, and his work went on to forever alter our understanding of the universe.
Think about it: how many people dismissed his ideas as “weird” before history proved them groundbreaking? Today, his face, wild hair, and even his eccentricities have become symbols of brilliance.
So, What’s the Point?
We’ve looked at an entertainer who transformed awkwardness into humor and a scientist whose “strange” ideas reshaped physics. Does that mean if you embrace your weirdness, you’ll become the next Will Ferrell or Albert Einstein? No. There’s no guarantee.
But here’s what it does mean: the qualities you worry might make you stand out in the wrong way could actually be sources of strength, creativity or connection.
My Own “Weird”
Let me share a couple of mine.
Professionally, I train and treat people with OCD, anxiety disorders, and first-episode psychosis. Not many specialize in all three. That makes my work unusual.
Personally, I love trance and techno music. Millions of fans around the world share this passion, but I’m a 44-year-old father of three who’s never been to Ibiza. I don’t exactly fit the stereotype of a techno fan.
Would I change these things if people judged me? Absolutely not. In fact, the more people tease me, the more I lean into them.
Why? Because they add value to my life. My clinical work constantly challenges me, keeps me learning, and connects me to people in meaningful ways. The music, on the other hand, helps me focus–especially when I need to tackle demanding tasks, like writing this blog.
Your Turn
Here’s an exercise to try:
- Identify a “weird” quality, interest, or value you have.
- Ask yourself what you like about it, and why you wouldn’t change it.
Extra challenge:
If you’ve previously been hesitant to share your “weird” quality, interest or value, try telling someone about it. Explain why you wouldn’t change it.
And what if you think it’s too weird? Ask AI. You’ll find a community that loves it too.
Bringing It Back to Social Anxiety
For those who struggle with social anxiety, “weird” can feel like the worst thing to be called. But reframing it is powerful. What if instead of being a liability, your weirdness is what makes you memorable, interesting, or uniquely you?
Ferrell leaned into awkwardness and made people laugh. Einstein leaned into ideas that seemed bizarre and changed science forever. You don’t have to be a comedian or a
Nobel Prize winner to benefit from your quirks; you just have to recognize that they don’t need to hold you back.
So the next time that inner critic warns you that you’re being “weird,” consider this: maybe that’s not a flaw to fix, but a feature to celebrate.
If you’re having a hard time celebrating what makes you weird, consider seeking the help of a therapist trained in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). You can find a local CBT therapist on NSAC’s website here.
👉 In the end, fitting in helps us survive—but embracing your weirdness just might help you thrive.
References
Brush, SG. (1999). Why was relativity accepted? Physics in Perspective, 1(3), 184–214.
Einstein, A. (1940, March 19). Letter to Morris Raphael Cohen.
Farrell, Will. (May 12, 2017). USC Commencement Speech.