Don't worry about not fitting in. The things that make people

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, with words as freeing as a breath of mountain air, once declared: “Don’t worry about not fitting in. The things that make people think you’re weird are what makes you you, and therefore your greatest strength.” In this statement lies the eternal cry of individuality, the anthem of the soul that refuses to bow to conformity. For she proclaims that what others dismiss as oddity, what the crowd scorns as strangeness, is in truth the very jewel of identity—the wellspring of originality, the secret key to greatness.

The meaning of her words is both liberating and courageous. To not fit in is often felt as a wound, as though being different were a curse. Yet Sørensen reveals the paradox: that the marks of difference are not blemishes but blessings. To be “weird” is to carry a gift unseen by others, to walk a path not yet trodden. The world may call it folly, but time may reveal it as genius. Thus, she urges the listener to embrace the uniqueness that sets them apart, for in it lies their greatest strength.

The origin of this wisdom lies in the nature of art and life itself. Sørensen, an actress who dared to carve her path in roles that challenged expectations, speaks from the battlefield of self-expression. Artists, thinkers, inventors—those who shaped history—were rarely those who “fit in.” Their visions clashed with the norms of their time, and their strangeness was mocked before it was celebrated. She reminds us, therefore, that the courage to remain true to oneself is the seed of all lasting impact.

History gives us countless examples of this truth. Consider Galileo Galilei, who defied the wisdom of his age by declaring that the Earth moved around the sun. To his peers he seemed dangerous, even “weird,” for he rejected the certainties of centuries. Yet his strangeness became humanity’s progress. Or think of Vincent van Gogh, whose art was scorned in his lifetime, dismissed as eccentric and unsettling. Today, the very qualities that marked him as an outcast are celebrated as the essence of his genius. What was once deemed oddity became the source of eternal beauty.

The imagery of Sørensen’s words is striking: the things that make you weird are the very threads that weave the tapestry of your true self. If you cut them away to “fit in,” you are left with a fabric dull and incomplete. But if you honor them, if you dare to wear them proudly, you become a banner of authenticity. Others may whisper, others may scoff, but the strength of being unapologetically yourself will outlast the fleeting judgments of the crowd.

The lesson for us is clear: do not measure your worth by the world’s narrow standards of acceptance. Instead, look inward and find the qualities that set you apart—your passions, your quirks, your ways of thinking—and cherish them as treasures. For what the crowd calls “strange” today may be the very thing that tomorrow will change the world. To suppress uniqueness is to betray destiny; to embrace it is to walk in power.

Practically, this means to stop hiding your true nature to please others. Speak your thoughts even if they differ. Pursue your passions even if they are uncommon. Surround yourself with those who honor your uniqueness instead of demanding your conformity. And when doubt arises, remember the great souls of history, who were once scorned for their differences but whose courage made them eternal.

So let Sørensen’s words echo as a clarion call: your weirdness is your strength. Do not flee from it, but wield it. For the world does not need more sameness; it needs the fierce light of individuals who dare to be fully themselves. Embrace your strangeness, and in time, you will discover that what set you apart was never weakness—it was the very heart of your greatness.