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How do you get along when you don't fit in? Just don't be a dick

I have known for a very long time that I am basically a person out of his element. Not because of who I am, but because of where I am. I grew up in a very, very, very small town in central Pennsylvania which is about as stereotypical of a place as you can imagine. The area is almost entirely farmland and corn fields, and the people are predominantly (almost entirely) Caucasian Christians. If you were curious about other things such as family values, stereotypes, and progressive ideas, just know that it is probably a ratio of 80/20 conservatives to liberals.

There are things you realize about yourself when you compare yourself to others around you. For example, it seems the vast majority of kids around here love "muddin'" which is basically driving an ATV ("four-wheeler") through a bunch of mud to get dirty...I don't particularly enjoy being that dirty nor have much interest in that activity. I would say that most people in my area enjoy hunting and have a fascination with cars...hunting is not that appealing to me, and I couldn't care less about cars as long as the one I am driving moves.

When I moved to Pittsburgh, I found myself in like company that had similar interests and ideals. Despite being a registered Republican, I hold a great deal of progressive ideals and being exposed to a diverse group of people felt amazing. Now that I am back in my local area, I often find myself at odds with many in regards to politics, beliefs, attitudes, etc.

So, how do I survive when I am one of the few odd men out in this area? Easy...don't be a dickhead. I read a lot, watch the news, follow current trends, and try to stay as knowledgeable as possible on things; I try to be polite and humble, but yeah, sometimes I am the smartest person in the room. However, you learn to deal with different attitudes and perspectives just be not losing my shit. Everyone is fully entitled to their opinions. Of course, sometimes I can choose to tell them how ridiculous opinion is, but still.

Over time, you have to learn that the best way to get survive when you are clearly the odd-man-out is to just not be a dick...especially when 90% of the time, you just want to be.

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