How Not To Be Interesting

There's something inherently boring in this push to "be interesting." Our ad program has been circulating Russell Davies' blog on "How to Be Interesting" since the day it was posted (due, in part, to the fact that the we prompted it), but relevance of instruction aside, I'm confused as to why anyone thought this was necessary.

Because if college has taught me anything, it's that everyone is interesting. Even objectively boring people are interesting in their intent to remain boring. I know we're students, I know we're here to learn, and that it's terrifying to accept that one of the most important aspects of our future careers is unteachable, but this is one lecture I feel we're better off doodling through. If you hate taking pictures, put the camera down. If your scrapbook sucks, scrap it. Maybe you hate collecting, are uncomfortable eavesdropping - who the fuck cares? Do something else. Be different. And not just for the sake of being different, but because different is your default and any attempt to reign that in or dilute it with "shoulds" is a shove in the wrong direction.

With that said, "Make something" is never going to be bad advice. I understand that Davies' instructions were purposefully broad, that the creativity is in customization, but why not take it a step further and make your own rules? Why not actually surprise someone?

Sorry: for typing out the text equivalent of my 4th grade classroom's "DARE TO BE DIFFERENT" poster. In retrospect, an image of a rainbow zebra probably would have been sufficient.