Remember, you are not an outcast here, and if you are an outcast anywhere it is because you're not willing to fit somebody's ideal of what you should be. So, you get two choices in life: become a clone, or be yourself. Sometimes being yourself is a lot harder to do, but you will be admired for it.
well, not always as you might have seen LTM. I am sure you felt very true to yourself when you were running amuck thru the threads with nummi. but that didn't work out so well for you. did it?
the thing is that no matter how much each of us would like the world to revolve around us, there are always going to be other people in the world. It will always be up to you to decide who you want to 'compromise' yourself with. but you
will have to compromise with others in order to get along with them. I have had my own troubles with this at times, but i can tell you from experience that getting along with most people is worth it. that doesn't mean you have to be like them, just that you need to show the same respect that you expect to get.
this issue of negotiating between being true to oneself and compatible with others is an old one (see my earlier conversation with klink in this thread). If i said you should do everything possible to make yourself be like all the rules of society, then i would be a hypocrit. At the same time that does not give you a license to abuse others.
in my work as a therapist, it has always been my goal to help people achieve "individuation", which is basically the ablility to be alright with one's uniqueness and to feel comfortable around others without being like the crowd to fit in. Others try to help people learn to give up their individuality in order to smoothly blend in and thus create less discordance in their lives. In the end, you will have to figure out which of these paths you wish to follow in order to get what you want. one very important thing Symphonix said to you was that values can change. so if you are not getting what you want in life with one approach, it is better to try another than to keep beating your head in the same place trying to wear the world down.
so if you want to be a part of macosx.com society, try knocking that chip off your shoulder and just being a part of our conversations. try writing more than one line sarcastical remarks to things people post. I have noticed that when you do that, you come across as a likable guy.
Ulrik - you should have told me sooner. i love shooting stars. we had the huge display of them awhile back and i sat for 2-3 hours watching them. they were HUGE!!
I don't know the Afgan Whigs but some songs that have always helped me thru bad times are "Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas, "Can't Find My Way Home" by Eric Clapton, "Rocket Man" by Elton John and lots of Bob Seger and Grateful Dead.