What if your personality resembles an outlier?

During research for psychology, before you can test whether the data you have is significant or not, an assumptions test has to be made.  An assumptions test includes locating outliers as they can create problems for the outcome.  Therefore the data that has been collected needs to be normally distributed.  So the outlier, which is a person who has characteristics not normally distributed such as age or the way they answered, needs to either be:

• Deleted
• Adjusted to the average mean so the outlier resembles everyone else
• Leave as it is, because any changes is either causing more problems or not making as major difference

The point to this story is what if your personality is considered an outlier.  What if you are considered so different that you or somebody else in your life has adjusted your personality so you resemble everybody else,  you felt like deleting yourself because you wanted so much to be like everyone else that you either felt ashamed or embarrassed or you believed that you were not a problem, embraced your individuality and felt comfortable to express your true self.   You do all these things so everybody's assumptions and opinion becomes significant to you.  It matters.  No matter how unhappy you feel, you want to fit in and become accepted to the norm.  You don't want assumptions violated.

So how do you know you are an outlier -

• You have a hunch that you are different
• What you enjoy the most is not according to the norm, such as academic pursuits, while everybody is socialising
• You received a diagnosis and feel stigmatised (even though a diagnosis is not to create stigma but guidance to improve your personality.  For example, if you have been diagnosed with ADHD  use it as a guide to improve your attention so you can remember what you have learned and to connect with others better)
• Your significant other or workplace colleagues does not respect your identity because they want you just them (what they perceive as the norm).  Your self esteem becomes shattered and you no longer know yourself.  You become depressed because of the loss of self (respect)
• People judge you according to the norm.  They don't see your worth.  They may unconsciously adjust your personality, through rewards and/or punishment, so you are like everybody else 
• You judge yourself according to the norm.  You don't see your own worth.  You adjust your own personality so you are like everybody else
• You hang around others who put you down or violate your space because deep down you don't like yourself

What to do:

Notice the signs.  If you are feeling disrespected, depressed or empty then you are most probably not being true to yourself.  Understand that you are not like the norm, that your different personality has a special place in society, learn about what that is, embrace it and develop your gifts.  Show off your gifts, shout out to the world that you are you and proud of you.  Don't even think about deleting yourself or adjusting yourself to fit the norm but shine!