Blog 10: Written response to reading: FREAK FACTOR

David Rendalls “ FREAK FACTOR : Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness
http://changethis.com/manifesto/45.02.FreakFactor/pdf/45.02.FreakFactor.pdf


is a great read and really helps you feel better about yourself. My favorite three topics that he covers are:

3. Flawless: there’s Nothing Wrong With You

4. Forget It: Don’t try to fix Your Weaknesses

7. Fit: Find the right spot

Flawless: There’s nothing wrong with you introduces the idea to the audience that we truly have no weaknesses that our weaknesses are merely out strengths in reverse. With each weakness, an opposing strength usually comes with it. For example, if your disorganized your probably very creative and if flexible, your probably inconsistent. These ideas help you look at all of your faults in a completely different light that lead to your strengths. He tackles three common “flaws” that people think they have, Disorganization, Dyslexia and Addiction. He tells that disorganization, something usually frowned upon is usually a good indicator of creativity. “Albert Einstein, probably one of the most creative minds of the 20^th century, was also a proud member of the messy desk club saying, ‘If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what is an empty desk a sign of?’” He also tells us that 1/3 of the entrepreneurs in America are dyslexic and tells a story of how a man overcame his addiction to drugs with an addiction to Ironman Triathlons, he did try to diminish his addiction, he merely re-routed it. I found this significant to me because, being an awkward, tall, redhead, I'm not like most people. And to think that there is nothing wrong with me just new strengths is really cool and uplifting. Creatively I can accept that I am not very good with technology , however I am really good at working with people and being both a leader and a follower.

                        Forget It: Don’t try to fix Your Weaknesses I found almost inspiring and made just SO much sense!! The points that he makes in this section are basically, trying to fix our weaknesses suck, is no fun and usually doesn’t work. The next section is about how it is the complete opposite with evolving our strengths. I think that the way that he and many of the authors on this site think is fantastical that if you don’t want to do something and if you don’t enjoy it… don’t do it. Simple as that, and that we have been trained through years of public schooling that some things in life you just have to do, because your making us do it. If school nurtured children’s initial instincts, think of the creative minds that we would have today! Accepting that we are not perfect and that trying to be is impossible is the key to realizing that we should work on being the best version of ourselves. I think self realization is one of the hardest things to do, which ironic cause you are you, and it would make sense that you know yourself, right? But people have a really hard time figuring out that they are human and have limitations, and that others are human and too have limitations. Trying to fix these problems is hard / impossible and really just kind of depressing. Creatively, I can stop worrying about things I am no good at and start concentrating on the things I am naturally good at.

                        Fit: Find the right spot. This point emphasizes that sometimes your weakness is your strength in disguise. For example, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s nose was his weakness that everyone teased him for, but in the right spot of the foggy Christmas Eve, his weakness became his claim to fame and his strength! So we have to put ourselves in or create situations where our strengths shine in order to enjoy our lives to the fullest.  We just need to find a situation where we can be our fullest potential. He also advises us to find people that complement our weaknesses as well in order to create a full being to get everything done (like within a business). I think that finding the right spot is a great idea. Growing up I tried all sorts of sports and had a miserable time with them and was really down on my self-esteem. When I joined band and the flag team, and found my right spot my self-esteem sky rocketed and I had a great time in high school. So, even if its dorky, band was the right spot for me and I'm really glad I found it. Creatively, I can apply this so that I am not doing things I dislike or am not good at and can find a different place where my skills are needed.