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Prompt 1 - Do you feel you are encouraged to “float” and be who you are​? Or, do you feel like the people in your life and society try to “weigh you down” and hide yourself?
OR, Prompt 2 - What is your reaction to the statement – “’Normal’ is the problem”? Remember to write your FULL FIRST AND LAST NAME on your post.

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Prompt 1 - "People don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.” Do you like to hear the TRUTH? Why or why not?
OR, Prompt 2 - How has YOUR life been shaped by your color or race?
Remember to write your FULL FIRST AND LAST NAME on your post.

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I would want the truth because if there is something wrong I would want to know so i can change or fix it not someone telling me its fine

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For prompt 1, Yes I feel encouraged to “float” and be who I am because I was born differently opposite from hearing people which it was deaf. I’m proud who I am and nothing will get my way. I will show to the world that I’m deaf and there is nothing wrong with that. My disability means nothing to you.

On the other hand, I’m hearing that “Normal is the problem “ it truly disgusted me because being normal is not a problem. There is nothing wrong with being normal. God gave you a gift for born this way, so don’t change who you are. The problem is people who hatred or judge you for who you are. Don’t let them get in your way.

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I would definitely like to hear the truth because it the only way to solve the issues that is still going on. Also it helps me to educated myself when the truth come out. When the truth come out, it makes a world into a better place. It will changed my life and everybody else life forever. I don’t want to hear the lies anymore but it is very hard to identify if that was lie or not . If people will start to speak up for the truth, others will understand and show empathy for what they are going through in difficult time.

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i think that society pretends to not weigh us down but if you think about it that's very wrong, you cant go anywhere on the internet and have a different opinion, you will immediately be called racist or homophobic or whatever for just having a different opinion. because of this i dont use social media, also i dont let society weigh me down because i just so happened to not have the same opinion on something

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My reaction to “normal is the problem”is it’s means no one should be that same and people use the term “normal”to categorize people or things but what really is normal if we’re all different in many ways. Normal is the problem because people have different perceptions on what normal even is/ means to them, people have different personality’s so they maybe call themselves “normal” because that’s how they naturally act and if when they run into others that are different from they use words like “weird” to categorize them. What I’m trying to say is that normal isn’t just one thing people have different meanings and understanding of the word so truly to me no one is normal we just chose what we the things that we’d think makes someone normal in our eyes.

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I do like to hear the true but also in all honesty the truth can be scary sometimes. I do believe that it’s important to know the truth though even when it makes me anxious, I try to make sure I see it as knowledge and to also remember that not get to overwhelmed. I tend to overthink things a lot and to be told the truth so I’m reassured sometimes is reliving. In situations that I’m not told the truth I get many thoughts and make a conclusion based on a gut feeling and most of the time it kinda turns out to be true. So , if I’m told the truth from the start it helps me process things better so my Ming doesn’t wonder else where.

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1- I feel like their are people who thinks they should be what other people tell them to

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I would like to hear the truth beacuse you never known if u can trust that person unless they tell the truth.

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The statement "'Normal' is the problem" is 100% accurate. Society's standards is the worst thing. You have to be a certain type of way to be "normal" and even then, society will find a way to tear you down. It will find flaws to judge you on. The "normal" is being perfect and even then, nobody who tries fits into "the normal".

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I would like to know the truth because, even though sometimes it can hurt, it's better than lying. Withholding the truth can hurt so much more than actually saying it.

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Prompt 2
people cant understand specialty or uniqueness normal is a problem because if people see you different than they want to take that away from you

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Prompt 1. I feel like from a very young age transitioning to a teenager yes we are taught to float and be who we are , to encourage us to be successful in the future. I soon realized that getting older you recognize things for what they really are & you notice that there are many obstacles along the way that can actually prevent you from reaching the goals you want to reach in order to be successful. When you get older you can see a lot of things more clearly for example, racism, sexism, homophobia, & transphobia are just a few of many things that weigh you down & can eventually lead you to hide yourself. I believe that society puts on this act that everything is fair & perfect & when you grow up everything will be fine , but in reality there are things that hold people back .

Prompt 2 . My reaction to the statement  “normal is the problem” is that I absolutely agree with it because, there is no one way to be normal when no two people are exactly alike. The word normal when used to describe people is often used as a compliment or seen as acceptable when in reality being different is amazing, it’s okay to be different. Could you imagine a word where everyone was the same ? Exactly boring . In conclusion I believe everyone should live their truth & do what they love .

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Prompt 1 . I completely agree with the statement that “people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed” because we don’t want to realize how bad something actually is so we created this illusion that everything is fine when in reality it isn’t. I relate to this a lot because I’ve had friends that I’ve kept around me for years because I kept telling myself that everything was fine & I was just overthinking when in reality they caused so much drama in my life & caused me to be this person that I didn’t want to be. As you can tell from my experience I would rather be told the truth because making your own illusion could keep always things to keep hurting you & eventually lead to something worse . In addition I’m a very “ tell it like it is “ type of person so I would want that to be reciprocated.

Prompt 2 . As a young black girl who is growing up in this world, I already have a disadvantage solely because I’m black . Now I’m not saying that because I’m black I can’t do things but what I am saying is that this country was built off of racism & we still practice a lot of the things we practiced back then . One example of this cus the 13th amendment that states “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, “ this means that slavery is not allowed unless the person is in jail & the incarceration rate of African Americans is the highest of any ethnicity. Another example is stereotypes that were created by white people & stemmed from menstrual shows . I’m conclusion there are things that were created to try to prevent me from being successful but I will always work hard .

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yes i would love to hear the truth is because i know that people don't wanna hear the truth is because they think they are lying and they will believe other people which you don't know who is saying what but i feel like you should give them a chance to talk so you can hear the truth from there mouth and can fix it everything.

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I am definetely incouraged to float because of myself and th people around. I was taught that you should be yourself and not try to fit into the normal.

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My life has been shaped by the color of my skin. As a black young man in America my family taught me how to stay out of trouble and to keep to myself. I had to be taught these things because of how people treated me and how doing or saying the wrong thing could get you in trouble. When I was smaller I would avoid cops at all costs if they were walking on the street or in my neighborhood because I was afraid of them. My life has been shaped in so many ways but I can say that it has made me a better person and I have learned a lot because of it.

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I like to hear the true because if i find out that you lied to me i would be even more mad

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I’ll be answering prompt three normal is the problem I agree with the statement the word normal is actually a problem everyone has different ideas of what normal is or what it should be and that is a problem because when you really think about it what is normal it’s normal what everyone else is doing what everyone else is the word normally causes unique people not to be unique because them to act and do things that everyone else is doing just for them to fit in that category of being quote on quote  normal

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I am responding to prompt one It’s not that I have a choice whether not to hear the truth I’m always told the truth the problem I have is whether or not I want to except it after I’m told the truth sometimes I delude myself into thinking it’s not the truth or that this isn’t how this is or sometimes I accept it I always hear the truth but The problem isn’t whether you hear the truth it’s if you are ready to except it or if you are capable of doing so

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Prompt 2- I definitely agree with the quote " 'normal' is the problem " because the word normal itself and the way society uses it, in a way is wrong. What I mean by that is that in a way, we don't use it adequately and we pretty much "invented" or "created" a word that doesn't really have a meaning because society has its own definition for it. It sounds confusing but what I'm basically trying to say is that when we use that word to refer to someone or something, we are actually fitting or measuring them, or it, to your standards in a very lowkey and subtle way. For instance, a person can look at an act, person, place, or thing and say " that's crazy", or "that's abnormal", and another person can look at it and see it as a very normal and everyday thing. When you use decide to use the word "normal" or not, you technically decide whether something is "normal" after you have judged and measured if it fits into your standards of "normal". And it's not always a rude or bad thing, but society has certainly adapted and gotten used to using that word in a bad way.

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I would like to hear the truth truth. I repeated it twice because sometimes, there is people who use the word truth and say that they are telling the "truth", but in reality they use that word to cover up and actually sneak in their "opinion" or THEIR thoughts. But as I said before, I'd like to always hear the truth TRUTH no matter how hard or how "insignificant" it might seem because if we grow up with lies and never end up getting told the truth, or we are told lies to keep us calm and collected, then later on in life, we will not be able to learn how to handle certain situations, we will not be able to grow fully as a person, we won't be able to learn from our mistakes, and in general, we will just never learn.

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I prefer to know the truth because I don't like people lying to me or sugar coding things so I rather knowing the truth.

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The statement "normal is the problem" is frustrating to think about because the definition of "normal" changes often. One day your consider normal the next day your not. Everyone has their own definition of normal and if you don't fit the condition of being normal for them, they won't consider you normal.

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I want to hear the truth so i don't need to live in a world of lies of which I believe in. Also by hearing the truth I can change myself into a better person

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The phrase "’Normal’ is the problem” is true because what people consider normal is not what people from different parts of the world consider normal so it paints this picture that everyone who isn't from here and isn't doing the "normal" things we do then they are weird when in reality it has nothing to do with that. Also some people consider different things normal so it makes people stressed out so they can appeal to the public image.

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I like to hear the truth because it makes me grow in life so that I can become a better person. Also it helps me understand more of others feelings and it helps me know what I'm doing wrong or what I'm doing good at.

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Honestly its the way you look at it. Society is really judgy now, so yes i feel like society does drag us down most of the time. For example, when you have a different perspective on things, you cant share it often without getting called out, or get called names. Or lets say you shared your opinion on the internet and someone else disagrees, you"ll get "called out" for not agreeing with that person.

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I personally feel like I am encouraged to "float" and be who I want to be because of the people i surround myself with

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Peope try to weigh you down and hide yourself because they know that you are better than them so they want you to hide so they can get all of the attention.

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I feel like America itself and the people who are apart of this country has shaped my life by the color of my skin.  Being from America has impact my life Positively and negatively when it comes down to who I truly am, which is a young black girl. When I think of the prompt, I think of how I live in two different worlds. When I think I of the prompt , I think of how I have to code-switch between two types of people. When I think of the prompt, I think of the stereotypes people feed off on when it comes to being a Black person. I think of not having the same privilege as the people who are pictured most important in this country which is a non- POC. I think of slavery, Injustice, how divided our country is. And I think of how wealthy, hard working and successful my ancestors have been centuries ago. Sometimes I do forget who I am and where I came from because I live in the present and I focus on the present. Yes,  I’m a black young lady but when I look in mirror I don’t particularly see that. I see a teenage girl who’s taking upon the hardships in life, a girl who’s trying to get through school in order to be a successful black women, a girl who’s still trying To figure so many things out but when I jump back into reality, I’m like “Damn, I have so many advantages now but what happens when I start to become more of my adult self. Would I have to experience what mostly black folks experience in the past. Like what’s the deal” ? When I jump back into reality and I picture what is going on in the real world .. POC getting targeted at and Sometimes I just wonder like. “Damn, I wish I was white”. And it’s sad because why is that I’m picturing my life as if I was a white person? As me being me, at times I struggle with my image. It’s like sometimes I can’t accept who I am and I rightfully have someone to blame, which is the country that’s more divided than any other country, the county that preach equality but doesn’t put it into action. Can you guess what country I’m talking about? If you’ve guessed America, yOu ...  aRe ... cOrReCt!

Oh, how much I love our country🙄.

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Yes, I do feel like at times I am encouraged to “float” and be who I am but there’s also times where I feel like I’m not encouraged ENOUGH. I see people my age doing big things like becoming a young producer, pursing a singing career and so fourth. And sometimes I’m just like “I wish that could be me” or “ Imagine that I was me”. I often try to put myself in someone else shoes. And I feel like the Society plays a major role when it comes to who I am. As said before, I’m not comfortable in my own skin yet.

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I think social media and society in general weighs us down and they want us to be a certain image but that just makes me feel encouraged to “float” and be who I am because who I am makes me nothing like anyone else. I am my own person.

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I like to hear the truth, I like it because then I’m more educated and I won’t have a false image on things.

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I want to hear the truth because it shows me that you have respect for me for not lying to me and I appreciate you even though I may not like it it’s what I needed to hear

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I feel like I am encouraged to float because I get a lot of help in life and I’m always told to do my best

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yes I feel like I’m encouraged to float because I always try to be the best I can be which comes with consequences sometimes but I always stay to myself 

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yes I feel like I’m encouraged to float because I always try to be the best I can be which comes with consequences sometimes but I always stay to myself 

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Chaz Evans

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i would want the truth bc it’s the way to solve the problems that is still happening, and bc times are kinda hard rn for everyone
Chaz Evans

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"Normal" is the problem is a very well line, as your job is to typically excel, never to underperform. However, being "normal" gets you towards underperforming, as typically people look for others who are excelling.

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"Hearing the truth" severely deteriorates your ego, along with completely destroying inner hopes and desires of sliding with that illusion that, you think you're right, when you're most certainly you're far off it.