Why I Prefer “Those” People (What Society Gets Wrong About Outsiders)

There’s something I’ve noticed over the years that I don’t think I’ve ever said out loud.

I feel more comfortable around the mental health clients I work with

than I do around “normal” people.

And I don’t mean that as a knock on anyone.

It’s just… different.

The people I work with don’t pretend.

They’re eccentric. A little neurotic. They’ll tell you exactly what they’ve been through — sometimes within the first five minutes of meeting you lol.

There’s no performance, no small talk mask, no trying to look like they have it all together.

And maybe that’s why I feel at home there.

Because if I’m being honest… I’m no different — I’m the same.

But here’s the part people really don’t understand:

Some of the brightest, funniest, toughest people I have ever met in my life are the ones society writes off the fastest.

The ones who have:

• been homeless

• struggled with addiction

• lived with mental health challenges

• been through things most people couldn’t imagine

And still… they show up. They laugh. They keep going.

I’ve always thought about it like this:

If two people are climbing up a hill and one of them is carrying a backpack filled with trauma, abuse, mental health struggles, and everything else life threw at them…

and the other person is climbing with nothing on their back…

Who’s actually stronger?

It’s not even close.

So when I joke around with the clients I work with…when we laugh…when it feels easy and real…

It’s not because they’re “less than.”

It’s because they’re some of the most resilient, honest, and real people I’ve ever known.

And in a world where everyone is trying to look happy and like everything is going great…

There’s something refreshing about being around people who don’t have to pretend.