Popularity Contests
It’s a perennial theme in school life. To be popular or not to be. Some would argue that being popular is not a decision to be made. You are, or you’re not. And yet, personal perspectives could determine one’s style and hence, the outcome is a manifestation of a decision at some level.
So, at a certain level, the decision could be an answer to the question: Would you rather be loved by a few or liked by many? It’s not an easy question to answer, and for that reason, it’s even tougher to frame. “You” could answer it from a business perspective, like my friend who thought he’d rather sell a large volume of his books than have an exclusive club that absolutely loves his work. “You” could also answer it to suit your egoistic inclinations - in which case you would either care for external recognition or give two hoots about other people. Perspectives abound. But real situations might reveal more about your own personal choice.
I was never the popular kind. I have (always had) exclusive friends, whom I love and care for and have rarely looked for fulfillment beyond this group. On occasions, this attitude turned my interactions with outsiders into random events, colored by shades ranging from a dark grey difficult-to-approach to a bright orange extremely-friendly. However, the thought of all the friends I’ve potentially lost does not bother me. Some form of natural selection must be in action.
What does bother me is whether the love of a few people has made me a dull character.