This is an essay for the University of Chicago. I need some help regarding organization and how I present my ideas. I have to turn this essay in soon and I have been working on it for a while now so any (constructive) advice is appreciated. The prompt is as follows:
What's so odd about odd numbers? - Inspired by Mario Rosasco, Class of 2009
Mathematically speaking, it means having one left over as a remainder when divided by two. In the English Dictionary, it means being different in regards to natural components from what is usual. In today's world, however, being odd simply means not conforming to the patterns and norms that society expects you to adjust to. Now, what is so odd about being odd? Stereotypically, if you are deemed odd you are unprofitably flawed and defective because of your singularity. Nonetheless, with steadfast conviction I can proclaim that this prejudgment is entirely false and inaccurate. In reality, the odd are the advantageous few who skip the need of belongingness and thus possess qualities that some may find defective but in reality are only virtues.
As humans, we long to feel comfortable with our environment and restlessly seek that sense of belonging of which Maslow constantly spoke. Because this is established, whenever one possesses a singularity and isn't moved by social norms and judgments, that number is automatically deemed odd. Furthermore, when one is deemed odd he is considered defective because of the singularity. Nonetheless, my own circumstances have shown me that the more unique characteristics that a number possesses when lined up against the mold of society, the more profitable the number genuinely is.
In February of 2011, my family began to notice a change in my behavior and in my persona in regards to my attitude and energy level. I would behave obsessively and often felt forced to perform compulsive actions. Exposed to my behavior, my parents invited a psychologist to speak to me. A month later, psychologists had determined that I had the symptoms of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Being diagnosed with this definitely put me in the odd category as this disorder is not found on a regular basis and doesn't fit into the mold that society wants one to adjust to. While this is true, the narrow-minded who believe that being odd implies that you are defective or flawed are found perplexed when attempting to answer the question 'what is so odd about being an odd number?'
Analyzing the characteristics that lead people to being deemed odd, one can easily see that these singularities are not at all indicative of a deficiency. Whether it is a perspective challenged by everyone other than the beholder or a quality that many find flawed, those things thought to make one odd are actually the elements that ignite global amelioration. The qualities that forced Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, Sir Nicholas Winston as well as innumerable others to being considered odd were actually stepping blocks that allowed these numbers to revolutionize the nation and the world in general.
Having been diagnosed with OCD, I am the first to claim that possessing a singularity, or being deemed odd, actually makes one more competent and profitable to society. In my fight against the disorder, my will to succeed was strengthened as I understood that this experience could undoubtedly help me to better aid others and develop a stronger character. I submerged myself in positive thoughts, motivated myself, and kept my eyes on the goal and to the surprise of naysayers and psychologists, I was able to escape through the grasp of OCD.
Having rubbed elbows with the term odd, I was able to witness first-hand the inaccurate judgments of society. Many believed that I had nothing to offer but I have grown to see that nothing equips one with the ability to aid more than possessing a distinction. When a young man was troubled by negative thoughts, I had the necessary experience to help him move forward. I was able to alleviate and comfort him with my knowledge. Encouraged to defeat the obstacle, within two weeks he had combated the intrusive notions and defeated the compulsions. I would've simply been another spectator but my experiences equipped me with the resources necessary to efficaciously spark a change in his life.
Not only does being 'odd' allow you to better aid others, but it grants you crucial interior values. When one is deemed odd, not only do others judge and attempt to emotionally subordinate you, but you are persuaded to believe that you are defective and disadvantageous because of that singularity. When alienation and external judgments aren't able to move someone's beliefs, views, and self-esteem, that person develops a sense of self-reliance and a will to follow through with any target set forth. With this will, those deemed odd possess the ability to establish and reach goals beneficial to the nation as a whole despite any opposition.
Undoubtedly, much of society believes that being odd makes you odd, or that being different makes you flawed. Proven by my academic, musical, and athletic accomplishments, bearing an oddity does not indicate that one is defective at all. Possessing a distinction implies being vulnerable to society's attempts at altering who you are. Nonetheless, this grants you an inarguably efficacious ability to better aid others, a firm perception of one's worth, and a will to succeed in any given goal. Being odd doesn't mean you are part of a subordinated subgroup; it means that you are part of a remnant lacking the need of belongingness and better prepared to aid the world.
