Mr. Humphries' Agony Session #6

NOTE TO READERS: Due to endless hate mail addressed to me by more than a few angry, parasite-infested Chihuahuas, I will in future spell my nickname in a different fashion. I'm hoping that further confusion will heighten their nervous shaking and thus reduce their ability to type in an accurate e-mail address.

Yours Purringly,
W. C. Humphries (Mr. Fleez for short.)


Dear Mr. Fleez,

This is my first year at university. Things have gone alright so far, but I feel unusually out of place. It is almost like there is no place for me here. I don't think I have a poor self-concept. I think I know me pretty well. But this is a big place with a lot of diversity, and I feel rather lost. How can I fit in with a peer group without changing who I am?

Sincerely,
Lost in the crowd.


Dear Lost,

Firstly I would like to remind you that, as an individual, there is no way to "fit in" anywhere without first altering something about yourself. If you doubt this statement, look again at the different "peer groups" on your campus and study the internal similarities of dress, grooming, and attitude. Practically everything one does within a group will be judged on the basis of how he looks while he's doing it.

Unfortunately, in the world of so-called humanity, most people operate on a supremely critical level. Even the "outsiders" maintain an air of pretentiousness. A condescending spirit permeates the more prominent assemblages and can gnaw at an otherwise normal person's sense of character, causing him to question his personal worth. This is where the trouble begins. Once you become so enamoured with the group mentality that you forget what makes you, it's easy to fall prey to peer pressure. You may think you know yourself now, but if you don't have the personal fortitude to stick with who you are, you'll be just as miserable and lonely within a specific "peer group" as you will be without one. Possibly more so.

Like nearly every other person walking the face of the earth (or at least the westernised regions thereof), you'll have to either conform to something or, as one lowly individual, get lost in the crowd. Then, what's so bad about being lost in the crowd? After all, there are likely others out there, wandering about, just as lost as you. Maybe by gazing at the "peer group" picture, you've overlooked the very niche you're seeking: Authentic individuality.

Yours Purringly,
W.C. Humphries. (Mr. Fleez for short)


READERS REMEMBER! You may now ask Mr. Fleez for his jaded opinion* on your personal situations. Please send your enquiries to: housecatwisdom@yahoo.co.uk.

*DISCLAIMER: By contacting Housecat Wisdom you're asking a housecat for his personal opinion. If you require serious advice, please, write Ann Landers, Dear Abby, or consult a professional psychiatrist.


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