Laws of Life

Diamond in the Rough


There are probably an infinite amount of laws of life. Everyone knows the standard ones: integrity, honesty, faith…it can go on. Then there are the true gems. Those secrets to life that are so precious, so secret, and so craftily hidden that only the few privileged with a special vision realize they are there. This is one of those jewels, something to carry in your pocket when you don’t really understand how to go on. It takes an open mind and a receptive heart to understand. Most people don’t realize that acting stupid can benefit you in many walks of life. The doors of life will open wide if you remember the benefit of doing something stupid every day.

This may seem like an exceedingly strange concept. What could the profit in acting stupid possibly be? When most people think about the consequences, they think of rejection and abandonment. Let’s start with the basics. When you do something stupid, you are presenting yourself to the world, albeit an elaborate and slightly exaggerated version of yourself. The behavior of someone acting stupid allows others to instantly make a decision about you. There is no second-guessing, they either accept or reject you for your actions. This is a way to weed out the people that are going to be true friends from the ones that will judge you for every little thing. If a person sees your behavior and automatically dismisses you, they are judgmental and would most likely not be a good person to have in your life. A true friend will recognize your behavior for you and accept it. If you act how you truly feel and do something stupid, you will attract like-minded people that have things in common with you. They will recognize you as a kindred spirit and migrate to your circle and you will no longer be alone. Deep down, we all thrive on socializing.

Other than finding you friends, acting stupid can always present desirable qualities to prospective employers. Doing something stupid in public displays your will to take risks. Employers look for such a quality because it means that you will go out there and do what you have to do to further the company rather than just sit at your desk and follow routine every day. Acting stupid helps you build confidence, making you believe in your image of yourself rather than the image of what others think of you. It lets you embrace your inner being, including the things known as your inner child, but really could just be thought of as the ‘you’ that you hide behind a façade every day. Coming out of your shell and singing to the world solidifies your belief in who you are, not who everyone wants you to be. Those are the kind of people that employers are looking for, someone that will take a stand and pitch their own ideas, instead of just nodding and agreeing with everything the boss suggests. You make an impression when you act like this. That person looking to hire will remember you out of all the applicants, all of the “I’m smart, driven, educated, goal-oriented, and I’m very excited about what your company is doing.” people. Your entire self will be presented right from the start, rather than the boss finding out later some quality of you that they don’t want. At the end of the day, it really boils down to presenting your whole self honestly and not just your good qualities.

This last benefit is kind of a selfish one. It entirely has to do with you. Just you and how you treat yourself. Have you ever felt trapped inside your mind? There are all these things that you want to get up and do, but your brain refuses to send the right command to your nerve endings? There is a way to break free of that. Stop thinking about what everyone is going to say if you line dance in the hallway or wear a fluorescent fishnet top. Have some fun already! Get out there. The world is waiting for you, it’s proposing to you on bended knee. Just dig down deep inside and find that courage that you had in elementary school when you played Harry Potter every recess, grab hold, and yank it out of the safe we all create inside to hide the undesirable parts of ourselves. How are other people possibly going to accept you if you don’t accept yourself? There are a lot of questions to be answered and a lot of risks to be taken. It sounds like an impossible task, but it truly isn’t.

In the noble words of Nike, just do it. Stop going through a routine everyday and put some fun back into your life. There are so many amazing opportunities that lay before you if you are just willing to reach out and say “I do.” Once you open the doors of stupidity, you open the doors to friends that will love you, employers that will trust you, and a new self-confidence that shines. That confident stupidity is down there, being crushed by the pressures of everyday life. However, we all know from science class that something ugly that undergoes pressure turns into something beautiful. Your new confident self is waiting, a diamond in the rough. Dig it up, clean it off, and cut and refine that jewel until it gleams. Wear that jewel proudly and just give it a try, do something stupid every day.