What It means to be eccentric. By an eccentric.

Once in a while I’ll meet someone who forces me to raise an eyebrow. Usually one thing that this person says or does catches my attention, but I notice something more essential that keeps me intrigued. This person is totally irregular. Preoccupied with their own little universe, they don’t seem to abide by any social standards. From their ideas to their clothing style, I am in a state of entrancement. These are the kinds of people you might call eccentric.

Eccentricity is generally defined as being odd: someone who acts or dresses differently to what is normal. I think that the common use of the word is accurate. However, what is it exactly that makes someone eccentric? You know them when you see them, but it is difficult to put your finger on it.

It could be that it is something deeply rooted in the person that makes them eccentric. In which case they would be considered eccentric across all walks of life. If their actions are just manifestations of this deeper truth about them, but bare no inherent significance; what they do says less about them than the fact ’that’ they do.

Conversely, it may be relative, depending on the norms of that culture. An eccentric in my community would not be considered as such in another. Someone who runs around kissing people on the lips, and wearing bizarre color schemes unforgivingly is considered odd because It breaches regular behavior in one place. Whereas, in another community it would be considered completely normal.

I think that at the heart of what it means to be eccentric is it be unpredictable. It’s an inexplicable need to express yourself in a way that misrepresents who you are deep down, to go against the grain. It’s a tool. A diversion to protect the person inside, or a meter to measure other people’s malleability. Since their reaction to me is very telltale. It’s not necessarily a behavior that is decided consciously. In fact it is necessarily subconscious.

It seems like eccentricity is an essential character trait. I have experienced how my own eccentricity has been prevalent across cultures. I seem to get the same reaction from all people I meet, no matter who they are or what world they are a part of. There is often this sense of surprise that I observe as I watch peoples minds unwind in the first few minute of conversation with me. Its not because I do anything particularly strange or jarring, rather my essential form seems to be an elusive concept for people to grasp.

It’s an ongoing conversation in my mind; am I eccentric or not? Yes, but only because of who I associate with regularly. However, as I started to meet people from around the world and from different cultures, and I received the same sense of intrigue from them as I did from people of my own kind, I understood that perhaps it is something inside of me.

I have always felt a strong drive to rebel, and not to follow suit. Yet, I have found a way to do that subtly with out drawing too much attention to myself. As such, I don’t get the same rise out of people as I observe from my other eccentric friends. That is why I have doubts about if I am eccentric or not.

Ultimately, There really is no normalcy. I find myself surrounded by eccentric people. Which in effect means that none of us are eccentric. The status quo in our little community is that you don’t know what to expect from each individual. The only established standard of behavior is that there are no standards. It is expected that each individual will carve their own path and do what is best for themselves. Sometimes in spite of what they observe in the world around them, but usually with little consideration to the broader societal norms.

Eccentricity then, is not just the notion of behaving differently. It is way deeper than that. Eccentricity represents a certain personal independence, a sense of self redemption. It is therefore inherent.