It’s a crap fact of life. No matter who you are, where you live, what you do, some people won’t like you. It’s not personal, no one escapes this experience in one form or another. Whether you’re the disliker or the dislikee, by the time middle-school rolls around it’s a part of the social experience. But however you slice it, normal doesn’t make it feel good.
This is the big risk of every new situation, and it happens every September at the start of a new school year. Whether you’re a freshman, a senior, or anyone starting a new life phase, there’s likely to be some social novelty. There are new classes, new teachers, maybe even new roommates. And sometimes all three.
Suddenly you’re outside the comfort of your established friend group, where you already know where you stand. Comfort zones have their place. I enjoy mine as much as anyone. Yet navigating uncomfortable social experiences is also how we build resilience…