Chelsea

“That “teaching myself social behaviors” thing, for example, was a window into my entire childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. There were things I needed to learn differently from most of the people around me, and the amount of useful, appropriate support I received back then was exactly zero. At the same time, the criticism I received felt infinite, especially when I tried to articulate my struggles. A person who I probably shouldn’t have been friends with once told me I needed to stop “thinking things through” in social situations and just “let my instincts take over.” In retrospect, I wish I’d replied, “What the hell are you talking about, ‘let my instincts take over’?” He might as well have said, “Just try really hard to grow a third arm between your shoulder blades and eventually it’ll happen!” Nothing about those situations felt instinctive; I had to learn how to navigate them in other ways”
― Mike Jung, [Don't] Call Me Crazy

“I’ve always assumed that when someone acts mean to me it’s because I did something wrong. Maybe that’s not it at all, though. Sort of like how sometimes you throw your best pitch and the batter still hits a home run. Because sometimes things just happen and you can’t control it. No matter how good and smart and talented you are.”
― Sarah Kapit, Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”
― Albert Camus