Popularity Doesn't Define a Person

Popularity is something that is easy for some to obtain, harder for others. Popularity is something that some want, while some are indifferent. Popularity can be hard to hold on to, sometimes there isn’t anything to hold, but it doesn’t define you as a person. Some may choose to overlook the long term outcome to gain more now. While they may gain popularity, they might choose to overlook how being the funny guy now could affect their future. Maybe they could have been admitted into their dream college if they studied for their finals instead of hanging out with all the “cool” kids. Popularity isn’t always negative. People can still be popular and succeed as long as they are popular with the right people.

I don’t mean to brag, but I was one of the most popular kids in my elementary school. The school only had about 40 kids per grade, so when I got to middle school I was just another fish in a large pond. Although I wasn’t as popular, I realized the value of a smaller group of friends that trust and support each other. I feel that I hang out with lots of different groups of people, but I still have my core group of friends. I feel like a lot of people know me, but I’m still not that popular. It doesn’t bother me; I find it more important to go after academic achievements rather than chasing popularity. Besides, I’m too slow to keep up with something that is so elusive. As long as I’m happy, popularity shouldn’t matter. Happiness is a much better scale to define a person, not popularity.

Yogi Berra once said, “Anyone who is popular is bound to be disliked.” Sometimes it is better not to be known. There is pressure that comes from popularity: expectations that have to be met. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice something to be popular, especially if what you sacrifice is yourself. If you feel like you are acting, that means you’re not being yourself because if you were being yourself you shouldn’t have to act: be pure. People are defined by who they are, not who they’re with.

Being popular within a small group can be nice, but popularity in large groups can be stressful and negatively affect who you are. I love always being able to have someone to talk to near me all the time. Although I have lots of friends, some closer than others, I don’t think I’m considered popular. I think a lot of people like my presence and consider me a friend, but even though I hang out with the popular kids, I’m not popular. That’s exactly how I like it.

Not being too popular gives me the freedom to fill my “crew” with the people I like to hang out with and trust. Still, I have lots of people who are friends that I like to be around.

Just because someone isn’t “popular” doesn’t determine who they are as a person. I don’t consider myself popular, but I don’t consider myself lonely. I’m proud of who my friends are because even though I’m not necessarily popular, I’m me.