labels

we all have first impressions. it is human nature.

however, i hate the idea of falling under those impressions. being labeled a certain type of person.

what are your thoughts on dyl?

• he's really nice!

  • btw, i hate being called "nice".

    • tangent, but anybody can be "nice".

      • but not everyone can be kind.

      • kindness is genuine, whilst being nice can be an act

• he's such a gym bro!

• he's a nerd

• he's goofy

• he's so serious

• he's so wholesome

see a pattern? each of these statements represents categories or labels that people assign to me based on my interactions with them.

what's the solution to this? well, the only way i can get past these labels are:

1. interact with people on a deeper level, where we really get to know each other

   1. difficult, b/c time is limited

      1. people will not truly know me after a couple of hangouts

2. work on myself and become as well-rounded as possible

the first is out of my control. however, the second is in my control.

my goal is to go against these conventions. i refuse to fall under any specific category or label.

one of the reasons i started this was to improve other areas of my life. why? because, deep down, i wanted to be able to adapt to any situation and distinguish myself by being unique.

i came to understand the importance of spending time with different types of people and pursuing unique, diverse hobbies across various "categories".

if i truly want to avoid being labeled, i need to focus on these things.

i’d like to preface by saying that i value hobbies that help me grow as a person. for example, i don't see any value in playing video games, so i choose not to play them. similarly, i find no value in scrolling on tik tok every day, so i avoid using it.

• gym + being active + health

  • i post videos, reels, and pictures of me at the gym (and fucking around) w/ my friends

    • @soma_ton_nay.health

      • goofy, silly, but also motivating and serious at times

  • i learned how to box

  • continued my love for basketball

  • journey of finding new sports to play and be good at!

    • this hobby falls under 2 different categories

      • "gym bro"

      • "fun, goofy guy"

• blogging

  • writing about my deep, inner thoughts

  • movie reviews + song analysis

  • pics w/ friends (for the memz!)

  • website design and making shit look nice

    • this hobby falls under

      • "creative/artsy/wholesome"

• music taste + movie taste

  • i try my best to listen to different genres

    • pop, indie, rap etc...

  • "damn, i would not expect this gym bro to listen to t-swift everyday"

    • what i'm tryna go for

  • "prolly just a typical asian dude and listen to edm everyday and go to raves"

    • I HATE THIS! I WILL MAKE IT MY LIFE'S MISSION TO NOT BE PUT UNDER THIS LABEL!

  • i love watching different types of genres when it comes to movies

    • if the movie is good, i don't mind the genre

• being a leader (more of a characteristic than a hobby, but will include)

  • becoming the best i can be in my field (career)

    • consistently improving my skills on my own time

    • money is important

  • taking things serious and not standing for any bs during certain situations

    • in high-stakes situations, whether in a group project or planning a trip that impacts others, i take initiative and act decisively to prevent issues, as i prefer to rely on myself rather than others.

  • this falls under

    • "organized, assertive, and responsible"

• having fun!

  • partying

    • can come off as fratty (i do live in a frat house)

  • i enjoy hanging in small or large groups of people

  • this falls under

    • "social, extroverted, talkative"

i will continue my journey of being as well-rounded as possible

thanks for reading! i’ll continue to document my progress as i work on developing these different aspects of myself.

I AM NOT JUST ONE THING!!!!!!!!!!!