We grow up believing that in order to be happy, we need to belong somewhere – a society, a country, a social circle, and finally, a family.
The desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves seems to be our innate need, which probably has evolutionary roots (remember the well-known notion that human is a social animal?). As Wikipedia states, “belongingness is the human emotional need to be an accepted member of a group.”
But what happens in the case of people who don’t only lack this need but also feel that they don’t really fit in this world? Some individuals don’t simply consider themselves different from the rest – they actually have different tastes, ways of thinking, and priorities in life. They don’t like popular things and activities and don’t go after the goals most people pursue.
They may seem a sort of weirdos to those around them, but the truth is that there is a bright side of being a “misfit.”
Today, we will discuss four categories of people who are very likely to have a sense of detachment from the world because of their emotional and mental makeup. Moreover, it’s not a bad thing at all and is, in fact, an indication of increased awareness and sensitivity.
Sadly, the society we live in is giving more and more importance to primitive instincts and material needs. So it makes sense why individuals capable of deep thought may feel like they don’t belong here.
If you are a deep thinker, then you probably know what truly matters in life. That’s why seeing people around you chasing ephemeral goals and being interested in meaningless stuff is so disappointing. It’s not only disappointing – sometimes, it makes you wonder what you are doing here, among these people, and feel like you come from another world.
Old souls often feel like they don’t belong here, especially when growing up. Being passionate about unpopular things may make others pick up on your differences and tease you for it. And this can be painful in your awkward childhood and teenage years, making you feel like a misfit who doesn’t have a place in this world.
In your adult years, this gap separating you from other people only becomes bigger. However, you find your path in life and don’t care the same about what they think about you.
Empaths are so sensitive to the emotions and energy of other people that they may find it uncomfortable to be around them. If you are an empath, you know that every time you watch a news broadcast or learn something sad about someone you know, you get truly upset.
All these side effects of being an empath can also provoke a sense of detachment. And it’s no surprise – there is so much greed, cruelty, and violence in today’s world that an empath may suffer, being a part of it.
A spiritual awakening is a great experience that elevates you to a higher level of consciousness and turns you into a spiritually evolved being. However, it is also paired with painful feelings and experiences because fundamental changes are never easy.
Not only do you start to wonder about the existence, reconsidering your life decisions and relationships, but you may also feel detached from those around you and the world in general. It’s all because you are becoming more aware and understand things you previously turned a blind eye to.
Instead of worrying about what others think and seeking their approval, try to find your passion and life purpose. And it’s fine if it doesn’t seem attractive or “cool” to most people. The point is that it should fill your life with meaning and happiness.
Did any of the above-described things ring true for you? We would love to hear your thoughts on this.
If you are feeling like a misfit, you may want to read my recent articles that provide some guidance for coping with this emotional state:
When the flood of comments came in response to this article, I realized that there were far more people who felt like they didn’t belong here, in this world and society, than I had imagined.
Inspired by this fact, I wrote the book The Power of Misfits: How to Find Your Place in a World You Don’t Fit In to help all those introverts, empaths, and deep thinkers who feel alien to modern society. If you are feeling this way and are looking for answers, you may want to check my book on Amazon.
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Well I'm not alone in my life i have a great family and friends who really love me even i have a perfect and caring boyfriend but always i feel something is missing in my hurt i feel something is not right here.yes there is a punch of people around me and i pretend to be happy but i feel alone in myself.always i think I'm different from all this people.well yes I'm a deep thinker feel old soul and so sensitive to the emotions and energy of other people I'm living in the worst country in the world i have never been free i couldn't live my life the way i wanted and every day people are suffering in front of me at first i thought if i imagrate everything will be alright but i found out there is no way for this and I'm stuck here for ever but really i Don't know it's the reason or no...i always think about things that nobody can understand and I can't live like other people i can't understand how they are happy in this way all the same they grow up find a job find love getting married have children and every habit they have i just can't fit in.i I'm just feeling good when I'm alone in the nature and think there is nothing in this world except me.i always pretend that I'm like theme and live my life but i know I'm different and I'm not belong to this world always I'm distract myself and live my life by sometimes it's really hard and i can't run away from this and right know i think i can't do this anymore i don't know what to do i just can't...😭😭😭😭😭
Have always feel like I don't belong to this world. I feel trapped in this body of mine.Then I often ask myself if I don't belong to this world, then where do I belong? It feels like someone is waiting for me somewhere or even watching me over the years. I told this to a teacher of mine, he recommended a book to me titled The road back to you. I don't see it impact. I find it difficult to make friends, I don't have friends cause most people do not understand me even my siblings. And I keep distance from people. I really long to know where I truly belong.
I've been feeling this way for several years now. I call it feeling un-tethered but it's also feeling distant, apart from others, feeling like there is no reason really to remain in this mortal form. I say out loud to myself, "I'm feeling weird, I think there's something wrong with me". Then I'll laugh because it reminds me of that song by Drowning Pool called Bodies ("Nothing wrong with me"). I relate to that song so much in a way, but in another way I abhor it because it sounds like a mass murderer's anthem too ("let the bodies hit the floor") which is so not me...but the idea that it's SOCIETY that has something wrong with it is the strongest theme for me. I've had so much pain. loss, grief, and trauma over the past 3 years that I've about come to the end of my rope... Definitely suffering from PTSD, no official diagnosis needed.
I’m a deep thinker, an old soul and recently I’ve started my spiritual awakening journey and it intensified my feelings of not belonging. But this article helped to calm me down, thank you.
I've felt like this my entire life. I'm a Deep Thinker and Old Soul. My wife even has a hard time understanding me and gets frustrated that I analyze things so thoroughly. The present day circumstances have been extremely difficult to deal with as it seems hypocrisy has become the way of the world and there is nothing good to look towards if people are involved. Politics are at the center of every single thing and regardless of where you stand on them you are ostracized and belittled into obscurity for not being enough X or being too much Y because nobody respects others anymore. I'm so sick of present day society and just want to escape from it all.