Childhood

[youngblooded]

As a child, how was life like? Often misunderstood as weird? Other children think of me as a weird loner. To me, I never quite liked the thinking or methods of other children and have openly said so many times. As a result, I have few friends.

[Nyiah]

I was extremely shy. I disliked loud noises and ther kids annoyed me. I think I was a female version of Stewie Griffin...

[blue tie]

I have a really poor memory of my childhood... I didn't really notice how different I was until I learned what difference was; being gay and MBTI. Before finding those, I guess I just took life at face value. I think I was as awkward as any other kid at the time.

[AgentofGaming]

My early childhood pre Gr. 4 was characterized by having more friends than I could count and leading recess adventures out in the snow and other activities.

My Childhood post Gr. 8 involved being untalkative and loner like. Always going home to interact with the Computer instead.

[pavman]

My early childhood pre Gr. 4 was characterized by having more friends than I could count and leading recess adventures out in the snow and other activities.

My Childhood post Gr. 8 involved being untalkative and loner like. Always going home to interact with the Computer instead.

I can relate. Until mid-middle school, I was the top of the world as far as coolness goes...by end of middle-school, I was pretty much a loner, with a couple of close friends (and I didn't trust the crowd by then).

Although, I think people thought more of me than I thought they thought... :stunned: In fact, to some extent I still do this, which is kind of annoying for my age.

[pletharoe]

Until I was about 12/13 I had real trouble with pretty much everything. Social cues were lost on me (I didn't pick up on anything that was implied) and I didn't see the point of so many things everyone else was doing (talking about football, pretending to be luke skywalker, kissing arse etc)
The worst was at school. Most of the stuff we were being taught, I couldn't see the point of learning. I remember getting into serious trouble when I asked how I might use Pythagoras' theorem in real life. (I can't apply myself to anything if I can't see a need for... now I understand the uses of trigonometry, but the teacher just thought I was being cheeky! Questions like this got me labelled by some as an awkward trouble maker.) This lead to me constantly daydreaming. I wasn't a bad kid, in fact all the teachers liked me, but most of the time I'd forget to do my homework, purely because I didn't see the need to do it!

Once I reached my teenage years, I found loads of friends. Not necessarily with the cool crowd, although they accepted me, they knew I wouldn't stick around for long.

[Jgib5328]

I was pretty popular as a kid. I was really athletic and pretty entertaining. I hung out with more of the cooler kids and we'd play kick ball, football and play boys vs. girls tag.

Then in middle school I collapsed. I lost my way and became a really big trouble maker. I'd do poorly in school, get into fights, get sent to the principles office and shit like that. I was a bully too and would make fun of the nerdy kids. I was also kinda emotional back then. I changed in 8th grade and became more focused on succeeding in life because I realized I couldn't reach success on my current trail.

In high school I was well liked I guess. I could act really out going at some points, I was known for yelling at people, being quick to anger, and saying or doing funny things in class. I also played football so I was pretty well known. Sophomore year I got really depressed, I forget why to be honest, probably because my life sucked or something. The depression lasted until Junior year. I was at my weakest at that point. Then I reached an epiphany. I changed my life around completely. I underwent what I like to call, an evolution. I was vastly superior to myself physically, mentally and emotionally. This transformation took place the year before my senior year. During my senior year, I was then known for being intelligent, emotionally cold, and more aloof. I still did and said some entertaining things, but it was to a much lesser extent. I started taking myself a lot more seriously. So my personality was pretty different from before.

After I graduated I went into college. My freshman year wasn't enjoyable. I made pretty much no real friends, so naturally I was forced to become a loner. I pretty much have been alone my entire college life and that's where I stand now. I have become a lot colder of a person and my hatred has grown substantially (all results of being alone I guess). But that's probably where I stand at this point in my sophomore year of college.

[AgentofGaming]

I was pretty popular as a kid. I was really athletic and pretty entertaining. I hung out with more of the cooler kids and we'd play kick ball, football and play boys vs. girls tag.

Then in middle school I collapsed. I lost my way and became a really big trouble maker. I'd do poorly in school, get into fights, get sent to the principles office and shit like that. I was a bully too and would make fun of the nerdy kids. I was also kinda emotional back then. I changed in 8th grade and became more focused on succeeding in life because I realized I couldn't reach success on my current trail.

After I graduated I went into college. My freshman year wasn't enjoyable. I made pretty much no real friends, so naturally I was forced to become a loner. I pretty much have been alone my entire college life and that's where I stand now. I have become a lot colder of a person and my hatred has grown substantially (all results of being alone I guess). But that's probably where I stand at this point in my sophomore year of college.
Heh... boys vs girls tag... they chased me all the way to my house, but I was a fast runner then.

I was a troublemaker in middle school too. Got into trouble a lot for talking or doing something obnoxious to be funny (I dropped chocolate into a guy's boots to prank him :rolleyes:).

I'm pretty much spending my post-secondary as a loner too. I did make some friends in freshmen, but they all dropped out, transferred, or seem rather distant to me now.
Being alone can generate a form of hatred, it's a yearning for people but at the same time don't feel comfortable in trying to go with those people.
I kind of hate myself for being socially incapable.

Yeah it kind of sucks to be a loner, always going to class by myself, no one to talk to anymore and eating lunch loner style.

[ssfanatic]

I dont think our personality really develops until we are much older. But i can say that i was a loner and lived in my head as a child. I had several imaginary friends, of coarse they were super human and such, but they were my closest friends.

[Jgib5328]

Heh... boys vs girls tag... they chased me all the way to my house, but I was a fast runner then.

I was a troublemaker in middle school too. Got into trouble a lot for talking or doing something obnoxious to be funny (I dropped chocolate into a guy's boots to prank him :rolleyes:).

I'm pretty much spending my post-secondary as a loner too. I did make some friends in freshmen, but they all dropped out, transferred, or seem rather distant to me now.
Being alone can generate a form of hatred, it's a yearning for people but at the same time don't feel comfortable in trying to go with those people.
I kind of hate myself for being socially incapable.

Yeah it kind of sucks to be a loner, always going to class by myself, no one to talk to anymore and eating lunch loner style.

I kind of this year have had more friendish type people and more acquaintances. But I really don't care that much for them. I think it actually is more difficult to make friends in college, especially if you go to a college where you don't know anyone else prior and you're introverted. It's really tough too once you are already moving along. It's not like high school where it was more personal and you knew everyone's name in your class and you talked a lot with other people in your classes and stuff. Oh well, 2 more years of college then I'm free.

[Zilal]

In elementary school I wasn't one of the popular kids, but I was generally accepted by everybody. I was weird but I don't remember being thought of or treated as weird. In middle school and high school people generally appreciated me for my intelligence and sense of humor but I never had many friends at any one time. I consider myself a loner because I often like to do things alone, but it was rare that I haven't had some choice in the matter.

[iMiki]

From preschool - 4th grade:
I was too shy and sensitive.
I didn't have a lot of confidence on myself.
I also let the other kids push me around.
I had a lot of friends.

From 5th grade - 6th grade:
I moved to the U.S.
I became less shy and had more confidence on myself.
I started to show effort in school.
I had lesser friends because people have jealousy problems.

From 7th grade - until now:
I really put a lot of effort on my school work.
I became protective of myself and my friends from bullies by being aggressive or scare them away with my facial expression and loud voice.
I became an INTJ.

[Truemusic]

In early elementary school I was so quiet my teachers thought I might have been learning disabled or mentally challenged. I was put in "special classes", but only stayed in them for a couple weeks. They soon realized they were very wrong.

I didn't really have any friends until 5th grade and then I only had one at a time for some reason. In middle and high shcool I was in band the whole time and my high school band was full of social misfits. We all got along very well and had some great times. If it weren't for all my band friends I probably would have had a very boring and miserable school experience.:) They really brought out my fun, social side.

Now that I'm graduated and in college, I'm a loner again. College is not a good place for making friends.

[Tsuru]

I spent most of my childhood being pretty withdrawn and holding a vague contempt for my fellow humans and their uncouth ways.

Not much has changed. :/

[Vivid]

I was very angry, paranoid, imaginative, and independent. I hated teachers and spent my whole childhood battling with them. I used to run away and make them chase me, or run in the street to get them in trouble. I was expelled from several schools for doing things like climbing the flag pole. I was arrogant, but not too mean. I realize now that some of my problems had to do with wanting everything my way and being inflexible.
As for interaction with peers, I can hardly remember what my problems were. I ignored other children, almost completely. They probably thought I was psycho.

[Bossy Mom]

I was painfully shy as a teen. I wouldn't even answer the phone. When my parents took a "day trip" with my siblings, I stayed home. I read constantly (and still do) and feared going to college and out in the world. Is this agoraphobia?

I went to college and became a social butterfly, and later did just fine in the world (but I still love to be home and reading).

[lordrrr]

I can relate. Until mid-middle school, I was the top of the world as far as coolness goes...by end of middle-school, I was pretty much a loner, with a couple of close friends (and I didn't trust the crowd by then).

Although, I think people thought more of me than I thought they thought... :stunned: In fact, to some extent I still do this, which is kind of annoying for my age.

I guess I can say I relate. But it's really been up and down for me.


Kindergarten+1st grade (I was a Pokemon GOD guys, you have nooooooooo idea)- Lots
2nd grade- Almost none
3rd grade- None, except maybe ONE by the very end of the year
4th grade- Quite a few close ones, but no big group. I had my own small group of 4 of whom I was the leader. We had Sonic clubs and Jet Grind Radio clubs and such. But we eventually went our separate paths. By the end of 4th grade I met who is still today my best friend.
5th grade- At first, just me and my best friend. Then I stopped being friends with him and seemingly right away became friends with one of the highest social cliques of the school (now I really regret this as my friend went on to be pretty much a loner except for one other friend of his).
6th grade- I switched schools, but went through a total teen angst bad boy phase, and I gained a lot of different friends from all over the school. By the end of the year I'd say 75% of the school was my friend/had neutral opinions of me and 25% was my worst enemy (ex-girlfriend who I dumped because she was Jewish goes here :D).
7th grade- Switched schools again. Not many friends at first, but when one of my friends left and I reverted back to the INTJ I have always been since birth but stopped being in 5th grade, and because of this I started gaining a ton of friends somehow :huh:
8th grade- Only went to school for a trimester. Had almost no friends :/
9th grade- Only about 4 or 5 friends
10th grade- Almost all of my only friends in the whole school transferred out, so non at first. But I started talking to people more and now I'm fairly social I guess, not that I want to be.



So it has been a pretty big roller coaster. I've gone from being really popular to really hated. All of these are excluding friends from OUTSIDE of school by the way, which I've seen to have had a lot of in my life :/

[Mandrake]

Elementary School:
I was very shy and quiet but I managed to gain a small group of good friends.

Middle School:
I was all over the spectrum! In 6th grade I was very shy and quiet. In 7th grade I became loud and silly which got me into some trouble. When 8th grade came in I became reserved and quiet again in which I recovered the trust of my old friends.

High School:
I was reserved in some classes and more lively in others. I was however, always willing to share my opinion.

[Antares]

(ex-girlfriend who I dumped because she was Jewish goes here :D).

Just because she's Jewish?

First Grade: Not very popular, but not unpopular either. No close friends
Second Grade: Can't remember
Third Grade: One close friend. Hated by the rest and friendly with some
Fourth Grade: One close friend, friendly with most
Fifth Grade: Two close friends, friendly with all
Sixth Grade: Three close friends, friendly with some
Seventh Grade: Four close friends, friendly with all
Eighth Grade: Seven/Eight close friends, friendly with all
Ninth Grade: Five close friends, friendly with all

And I can only name about three of the 'close friends' I can be completely open to.

[lordrrr]

Just because she's Jewish?

First Grade: Not very popular, but not unpopular either. No close friends
Second Grade: Can't remember
Third Grade: One close friend. Hated by the rest and friendly with some
Fourth Grade: One close friend, friendly with most
Fifth Grade: Two close friends, friendly with all
Sixth Grade: Three close friends, friendly with some
Seventh Grade: Four close friends, friendly with all
Eighth Grade: Seven/Eight close friends, friendly with all
Ninth Grade: Five close friends, friendly with all

And I can only name about three of the 'close friends' I can be completely open to.

No, not because she's Jewish. Well not JUST because. There were other reasons I decided the relationship wasn't working out.

[Lagawrd]

From younger years dating back to elementary school, I was always trying to win recognition. This is because everyone was doing it and at that time thats what seemed to work. Internally I honestly did not care about other people as much as an avergae kid would. I was more of an observer. I was growing tired because I am internally pressured to belong. At that time I had no sense of right or wrong.

After a while before I went onto fifth grade I started to feel this sense of individualistic feeling. Whatever I did somehow seemed to effect me, I liked this idea and feeling. I embraced it and chose to rely on myself. This is when I started to get picked on because I had no one supporting and I supported no one. This wasn't the obvious reason why, but I always saw it as that way. Learning some gymnastics and Kick boxing boosted my confidence but I never used them in a fight (Not that you can use gymnastics in a fight). I never wanted to however, confidence made me grow and block out the others. From then I chose to refine my skills of logic but also learn new ones.

[lordrrr]

From younger years dating back to elementary school, I was always trying to win recognition. This is because everyone was doing it and at that time thats what seemed to work. Internally I honestly did not care about other people as much as an avergae kid would. I was more of an observer. I was growing tired because I am internally pressured to belong. At that time I had no sense of right or wrong.

After a while before I went onto fifth grade I started to feel this sense of individualistic feeling. Whatever I did somehow seemed to effect me, I liked this idea and feeling. I embraced it and chose to rely on myself. This is when I started to get picked on because I had no one supporting and I supported no one. This wasn't the obvious reason why, but I always saw it as that way. Learning some gymnastics and Kick boxing boosted my confidence but I never used them in a fight (Not that you can use gymnastics in a fight). I never wanted to however, confidence made me grow and block out the others. From then I chose to refine my skills of logic but also learn new ones.


That sounds pretty awesome. How were your friendships after that and how are they now?

[Skitter]

I was actually an extrovert when I was young. I loved being the center of attention and making friends. I wasn't very good at it though and I never got any better at it due to a personal trauma when I was about 8 which caused me to turn inward. After that I was accepted by most people when they actually noticed me but for the most part I preferred to be left alone. I became increasingly misanthropic through my school years and in high school I was so quiet some kids would actually interrupt my reading (I was always reading then) to ask me if I was mute. I would say 'yes' and go back to my book. I think they got the point.

[Antares]

Skitter: I was an extreme introvert before, but have gotten more extroverted.

[Skitter]

Skitter: I was an extreme introvert before, but have gotten more extroverted.

I definitely could have done without the incident that caused it, but I'm comfortable with my introverted nature now. And I'm making small steps to reach out to like-minded people. Example: I had to overcome my shyness to start posting in this forum! :)

[PRBori]

Hmm...

My childhood is full of awful memories.

I was the type called "NERD" always in the library reading, always part of the "Science Clubs", hardly had any friends. I could never fit around the other girls who wanted to waste their time and do things that were unaceptable to me and my upbringings.

I used to do a lot of favors just to fit in, but the true was that I could never fit in because I was extremely different. I can only fit among those that share my values and views at the time.

I was the stubborn type, I never listen to my mom, never understood her views since they differed so much from mine. I love her to death, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for her, but we are so different. She's settle with whatever people tell her or her religion says, while I was more of a researchers... if something didn't make sense I wanted to learn more from different avenues not just one or two but six or ten.

I spend a lot of my childhood sick, most of my elementary school I had to be in treatment for white cells, so I was in the lab all the time. From age 3 to 9, I was always in the doctor for nose bleedings and issues with my blood. Intermediate School, I just spend time in sports and doing science projects, again hard to click with others.

High School, well let's say that I only spend 1 year before moving away from my family to the US... I left PR at 16 and moved to US in order to achieve my goals. I finished HS here in the US, but I worked FULL-time while attending school Full-time so I had little if any time to make friends. Friends were mainly co-workers and not even that. I had to work because I had no family where I was, nor can my family help me financially... the only concern for me was to make sure my GPS was kept at 3.0 and I worked very hard to achieve that.


My childhood was tough.. there were other major incidents I rather not talk about that happen to me, but none stop me from what I wanted of life... so I'm here, I have achieve more than half of my goals, and still kicking ...

As always, not shy, but unable to fit with others including my mom.

[Learning]

As a child, how was life like? Often misunderstood as weird? Other children think of me as a weird loner. To me, I never quite liked the thinking or methods of other children and have openly said so many times. As a result, I have few friends.

Hang in there! Good friends are worth waiting for. You can also find ways to be "nice" without compromising your values just to keep the peace & make things more bearable. Remember that many people who are/were "different" have accomplished great things, and contributed to the world/lives of others in great ways.

[youngblooded]

I always tried to fit in but when I did, I found that most people always took advantage of my kindness. I'm known to be quite a mentally strong person so therefore when i sort of tried to fit in socially, I become more friendly and less distant. This, however, made me appear to others as being weak hence they would blame things on me knowing that I would accept the blame to fit in. As a result, after a few months, I thought to myself about it and decided that fitting in was impossible because of my differences.

I also begin to see for myself how pathetic others were. I decided to work hard so that when i became an adult, no one will ever tell me what to do. And if they can't get with that, than that's their problem.

[thaddeus6th]

I've been compared to Stewie as well, both by people I knew in reality and online.

I had some fun speaking difficulties as a child (the inability to speak coherently) coupled with quite high intelligence. I got picked on a bit at primary school, but not at all in secondary (by which time I could speak perfect English, but with a vaguely posh accent instead of a Yorkshire one).

As now, I was something of a loner at school, but not to the extent I couldn't get by perfectly well in the 6th form common room.

[Lagawrd]

That sounds pretty awesome. How were your friendships after that and how are they now?

Well, my friendships back then sort of became alot more limited. I would only sit or hangout with someone who had something to offer such as making me laugh, enlightening me, and even just for the sake of company. When we would hang out I would always be the one who would leave the group or the chat first mainly because the original mood sort of went away. This made others become wary of me and therefore did not create any close bonds with any.

According to my life as whole this was not very drastic nor was it very 'bad'. As I grew up, I realised this society and community requires others to interact, not to have deep bonds but to communicate to a degree. To communicate and get to 40% of the places you needed to have some sort of deep bonds or atleast show you do. You need to have things such as friendship with a known person (Which is mostly an Extrovert) which will help you later on for finding you jobs in your field. For whatever reason in the end you need to maintain some sort of contact.

This is why now I am very aware of the people around me and also of their feelings and their expectations. The more you think about it the more they (the people as a whole) relate to you. This might not relate to all the other INTJs or other types, but this is what I learned from observing how things work in society and getting around.

[mabts]

I've heard the INTJ personality doesn't generally develop until the teenage years; for me, that was definitely the case. Throughout grade-school I was the definitive extrovert who kind of "ran the show" in the class. People were always telling my parents how out of control I was going to be as a teenager.

But then around freshman year of high school (puberty?) it was like my whole personality and brain chemistry became completely different. While as a child I didn't even know what introversion or even what the emotion of shame was, all the sudden I was acutely aware of myself and the world. I went from being the "really smart kid who never studies or tries" to the "really smart kid who reads all the time."

But socially I still really haven't had many problems. Maybe I'm not as introverted as many on this board are. I've always had a close group of really good friends that understand me for who I am.

I think the main thing for me socially has been my periods of complete nihilism. While many introverts in one sense don't care what people think of them, in another sense introverts care much more than others what people think of them (I'm not explaining myself well but I think some of you will know what I mean).

[TCC]

I didn't have many friends growing up. I was always slow to make friends and I switched schools every other year and by the time I would find a friend or two I had to move again. Compounding this other children tended to hate me or they sensed weakness and pounced. I got beat up constantly. I never started the fights, I never ran away, and I was always out numbered. I would get home and be punished for fighting. My mom decided that since I always got into fights no matter the school I was in I must be starting them. I did finally realize why bullies would attack me in groups even though they could have individually beat me up. It has nothing to do with cowardice or lack of self-confidence or any of the other crap that TV and teachers tell us. The reason they pick on the weak in groups is simple. They are bonding with each other, the bullies are beating you up as a team, it is male bonding plain and simple. It doesn't matter that you can't fight back, thats not what it is about.

[hcp474]

I have no memory from before I was 12, by all accounts it was a pretty nondescript childhood, I've been told I was a quiet child. I think the best description was from a headmaster complemented me by saying that I was "bloody minded". Parents moved around a lot, so I was in boarding schools from age 8, so that probably did not help with developing an overly emotional personality.

I know I coasted through school, well as close as a dyslexic can; did the minimum, undertook several potentially lethal projects as varied as TNT (only made DNT? - smells of almonds, quite nice) impromptu rocketry, scaling roofs to install network cables, there are probably others.

I had a small group of close friends at school up till about 17 then they drifted away. Similar story through university. I only started working when I failed a year, a useful kick up the arse that would have been nice to have had sooner.

[kari]

childhood sucked pretty much. it sucked for a lot of reasons, but i think what really stuck out is just not having anyone i felt comfortable or safe to be myself around.

in elementary school i only ever had one friend at a time, and every single one of them moved away and i havent seen since.

i had no friends in middle school and most of high school.

i was an ugly duckling, i could hear people laughing at me and mocking me behind my back. as a result i dreaded approaching or interacting with anyone. i think i always had a preference for introversion, but it certainly got exacerbated by that. my mom was the worst though...i had a few teachers who even gave me code names to tell to them if she started to get too "intense", so they could know to step in and help out. of course i never took them up on it though.

none of the few friends i had were real friends either, just someone i could go hang out with on occasion. to this day i wouldnt say that ive ever had a real friend or anyone with whom ive felt a strong emotional connection of any sort. hopefully that can change soon though...

[Odie]

Severely traumatic. My childhood horrifies people. Made me strong, made me value sanity, morality, and goodness. Wouldn't recommend it, I got lucky.

[ollin24]

My parents often left me by myself so I had a lot of freedom as a child. I would go watch t.v, make my own toys, paint, draw and sleep behind the couch.

When I first entered Kindergarten... I didn't like seeing the fences at school and I wanted to escape but I couldn't. For the rest of my elementary years I was a pushover and often got blamed for things I didn't do. I even flunked the 4th grade and when my father found out about it... I guess you can say he nurtured the INTJ in me and became an achieve. The price I paid was that I gave up all my art related hobbies. My dad was very harsh with me with my academics and demanded more and more saying "pressure" is a positive motivator and turning my weaknesses into strength. As for friends I had people I greatly admired. No crushes either.

On my intermediate years I kept pushing my limits until I had family problems which I was quite devastated from. After that, the architecture of my being suddenly spiraled and crumbled. I gave up on absolutely everything so... I was content with the minimum for the rest of my intermediate years. As for friends I made close friends for the first time in my life.

High School I was very depressed because the family problems continued and I didn't want to show up to school anymore. I missed out on dating, even reciprocating someone's feelings which I deeply regret and trying to make friends. I graduated through independent study and started to worked to stabilized my family. I'll say I had a rough childhood and struggled but that's what made me strong..

[DistortionEngin]

In k through 2nd I was part of a group of 3 other friends called "the dust devil club" our territory was on the side of the hill with a crater that had been created by lightning, but we caused trouble all over the playground and beating the shit out of each other for fun. But our primary goal was to summon a dust demon to do our bidding and show that school whos boss. :evil:
we would've made a good L4D team

But in 3rd grade we were forced to disband the club when the old vice principal retired we got a new one who actually knew how to discipline us.
Anyways, about the same time I also had one other friend at the after-school-daycare who was the only girl I was friends with. She was my partner in crime at the daycare.

Halfway through the 3rd grade I moved.
My new school was so much different. I wasn't the tallest, or the smartest, or even the most artisticly talented, I was just average. after that I became way more introverted.
I obtained one good friend, all others seem to just come and go.

[judymrad]

I did not feel isolated as a child, as I benefitted from the randomness of having lots of kids my age in the neighborhood I lived in til I was 11, as well as in the new one we moved to where I spent the rest of my childhood. Also helped that my brother, 13 months older than I, was also an introvert. We were as comfortable being invited to the neighborhood dodge ball game as sitting for hours reading.

My childhood INTJness was most evident in the amount of time I would lose myself by reading. Science fiction (loved A Wrinkle in Time) and epic tales of animals (Call of the Wild anyone?) were my faves. I am back to reading a lot again now (love the Kindle) after a pretty long period of stress, and realize now that when I cut reading from my life, it makes me innately miserable.

In childhood, it did not really hit me that I might be a tad different until I was in 5th grade, and the teacher posted a reading log of each kid on a giant poster in the back of the room. By school year's end, my list was visibly 4-5 times longer than the next kid in line -- in fact, when I first began dating my husband years later (we had been in the same 5th grade class), what he remembered about me was how much I read.

I think if the teacher had been a bit warmer, I would not have felt anything weird about being the most-read kid in class. But when she'd talk about it, she seemed to be suggesting without saying that I was something of an oddball, especially given the number of animal stories I read.

[Zethariel]

Loner and outcast till middleschool. Didn't go out much, most of the time spent with the PC. I opened up a little bit later on, but not much -- a small circle of "friends" was all I needed.

Got into some trouble with not doing homework (or writing it poorly) and neglecting subjects I didn't find interesting, such as geography or biology. Got into a cold war with my English teacher -- I knew a lot more than her at the time, and she would not acknowledge me, ignoring instead.

[Hewholistens]

in elementary i was very popular and had many friends. Then in middle school i found the other kid's behavior very immature and stupid. I began to distance myself from others and became emotionally cold. Been accused of being to serious, boring, to critical and arrogant. But that's fine with me. People are a bother.

[AussieHarvey]

I know how some of you feel when you say you viewed the world entirely different than others, I know from examples right now in High School that can prove this. For instance we were given the topic of if the Muslims should be allowed to build a Mosque at Ground Zero. Everyone in my class did not agree, I was the only one who said "personally they could do either because it won't affect me in any way but I see no problem with it." At least I got some angry remarks but I just sat their and listened to my teacher shut the kids up.

[Rhea8649]

3 years 8 months… I decided the people in the small town where I lived were idiots and I did not need their approval to live my life (kind of long, silly story).

10 years… Won a crazy chess game against my father’s best friend’s 12 years old son. As I made my final draws I realized that the dark queen was a super cool girl and I wanted to be just like her. The rest is a history… I learned I can completely change whatever situation I am in with a single move, I can totally shake out the chess board…If I do it right, if I am not afraid to make the move, if I do it smart...