Re: CHAT: Coming out of the conlang closet

 --- Andreas Johansson wrote:

> > > Telling people that I invent languages does not, on the whole, seem
> > > to be a course of action that would enhance my social status.
> >Personally, I've come to realize that, at least for me, social status
> >means very little. I wouldn't force myself to be someone I'm not just for
> >the sake of recognition or acceptance. I don't go around proclaiming my
> >odd interests; but I don't take offense when laughed at for them, either.
> To each his own, but for me, I experienced quite enough rejection as a kid
> that I'm perfectly willing to bend a little in order to be accepted. I don't
> see it as "being someone I'm not" (how could I?), but as think of it as
> thinking a bit about what aspects of myself I chose to display.
When I was a kid, the fact that I liked classical music was already enough for
my classmates to exclude me from their group thing. As a result, I stopped
caring for being in such groups. I still don't like groups.
Later, during my secondary school time, things changed a bit. People still find
it strange if you have unusual points of interest. But when you are really good
at something, you are always your own self without making compromises to
anything like a group identity, and you are a nice guy anyway, people will also
come to respect and even like you. And on the long term learning a language can
turn out much more useful than hanging around in cafés.

Jan

=====
"Originality is the art of concealing your source" - Franklin P. Jones

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