While reading, I realized that there’s a dilemma some people face—they can’t fit in just anywhere, can’t befriend just anybody. I know a friend like that, who doesn’t track trends or watch what everyone else is watching. They can easily zone out, disappear into their own space, or cancel plans without a second thought. They don’t do “fun” in the usual way, and maybe that’s fine by them. You see just because a person is loud or talkative or is good with handling a crowd, doesn’t guarantee s/he is not socially awkward. Yeah, a bit out of sync, maybe.
I remember it was around 2016-17 when a poem of mine got published in the newspaper. An uncle, a school principal, visited us and was made to read it. He said it was a mature thought—not what he’d expect from a kid my age. My dad even asked if I actually wrote it. And yes, I did. The point of bringing this up is that some people surpass their age group in certain ways; that maturity isn’t just about age. And that’s where I relate to young Sheldon—minus the extreme knowledge base, of course, haha.
There’s this cycle of disappointment: people disappoint you, and you disappoint yourself. So, we focus on learning and gathering knowledge instead. The grind sometimes shapes you into a corporate-ready person, even in personal interests. I’ve seen that with myself. Handling professional interactions, and managing teams—that all comes naturally. But when your hobbies and interests line up too well with corporate values, it feels more like a personal loss than a win. Like, I can’t stand meetings or calls without an agenda. (Can you believe that?)
Part of the problem is understanding too much. You see things clearly—often too clearly. It’s like having a premonition for every letdown, but it still stings when it happens. You know expectations lead to disappointments. So, maybe you avoid calling people out because you understand why things happen, and why people act the way they do. It’s the cost of “knowing.” And where does that leave you with your own frustration? Social media is full of posts telling you to relax, and not to take life so seriously. But for some, that switch doesn’t exist. Taking things seriously isn’t a choice; it’s just who they are.
Maybe this is what it means to be a bit “mature for your age.” But does that help—really?
Once, an interviewer asked me what my non-negotiables were. After some thought, I answered, “Communication and trust.” Only later did I realize those are my life standards- my basics, not just work standards. I can’t stand communication deficits; they irk me so much. And like my dad says, “You become what you hate”—so here I am, a difficult communicator myself. I watched an interview recently where someone said, “You build trust not by offering it, but by asking for it.” And I thought, what if you can’t even ask for help without feeling it’s a burden? How can you count on people, then?
So the idea is to sit in your cocoon, your righteousness, believing in your karma, trying to do everything on your own, and hoping maybe someday somebody courageous enough would show up to break it. This indeed comes with a caveat though, a fright, that while doing so, they don’t break you along. Or maybe one day who knows, it’d be you?