Persona Non-Grata

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I heard this term when I was in my senior year. The teacher asked us to discuss in group on what it means and how it actually applied to society.

There are two meaning to this phrase if you would like to conclude it. On a political perspective, Persona Non-grata means an individual who hasn't been granted their visit to the country where their benefit and security are non of the government's concern.

 It is as if they are blacklisted from existing on the country. It was because of the things they had done in the past which comes to no liking to the country's government. They are more likely to be told to leave the country of which they were visiting. (This is how I see it anyway, our teacher said it was free for us to state our opinion about it. Please correct me if I'm wrong)

Another meaning was on a general perspective where the person itself is ignored and treated as non existence. This made me think. Shall we talk about this? Has the society these days been treating anybody in their life in such ways? 

To my finding, believe it or not, we are doing it everyday without we noticing it. How?

Okay. Let me break this to you peace by peace.

The word persona itself actually means the aspect of someone character that is presented to or perceived by others. (Yes, I googled, so what) In the dictionary, it means the aspects of a person's character that they show to other people, especially when their real character are different from what they've shown.

Let us reflect ourselves? Asked yourself this question. Have you been acting differently in front of the public? Did you put on different persona in front of other people in order to suit their needs? In order to fit in? If you say yes, then you are save. You can ignore this article and proceed whatever it is you were doing. Thank you.

If you say no, I have another question for  you. 

How did they react to your different approach to theirs? Did they welcomed you or ignored you?

Unfortunately, the percentage of people who might get a good reaction from being different than others are slightly low. It is because people don't feel comfortable or scared of something which they aren't actually used to.

I give you an example. There is this boy who seems to be interested in Ice skating and dreamt of becoming an Ice Skate athlete one day. He even joined the club where there might be just one or two boys like him. He was excited about this but the whole thing turn into a peace of  joke to other kids his age.  They even made fun of his interest. 

His cycle of "friends" are mostly in the basketball team or the football team. The real man or big boy stuff. So he was made fun of. In order to fit in, he forget about that dream and joined his friends just to put an end to the joke. If he didn't, they'll ignored him and alienate him like he was the weirdest kid in school. Persona Non-Grata.

So what is this? Why do we even have to measure the society by the percentage of things in common rather than random or rare? Why do we do this?

I hate to break this to you but you have been missing out. The world needs more of our randomness persona. These rare types of people are those we called creative people. People who have visions and talent with ability to achieved more than anyone could possibly imagine.

So what that we do not fit the taste or norma of the public? We are our own unique and talent. We strive for something bigger than ourselves. We create more masterpiece which one day the world will appreciate.

I tell you what. Those who had been ignoring you will finally notice what they are lacking of because you have done it first before them. In other words, you are brave enough to try and take the risk in order to pursue something which gave you so much satisfaction, meaning and purpose.

Without creativity, there's no music. There's no art. There's no technology. 

Go out there. Skate to your heart's content. Write that blog. Record that Youtube Video. Design your own clothing line. Start that business. Built that robot. Travel the world. Climb that mountain. Ride that bicycle. Break the World Record. Paint that mural. Do it! Just do it! 

You can achieved great things with your own unique talent. All you have to do is believe in yourself. Love yourself enough to know you are enough. You don't have to fit in if fitting in makes you ordinary. You are more than what you think you are. Trust me.

And by the way, for those who actually able to fit in, I congratulate you. I thanked you for giving more room to those whom might need space to expand their masterpiece.  

I know this post had nothing to do with political terms of the word Persona Non-grata but the point to this whole telltale is that if anybody ever treat you badly about being different or "such a weirdo", it was because they see something in you that you don't even notice. 

Hey guess what? Your real PERSONA is showing. Embrace it.