I think everyone knows those artsy, nerdy kids, who care about psychology and philosophy, but don’t really understand it, but think they’re right about it anyway. Who manage to have opinions about religion and politics, while still being enrolled in high school. The kids who would like nothing better than to discuss the moral failings inherent in a capitalist system. While playing chess. And drinking chai. Essentially the people who, with no right to do so, try to be deep anyway.

Yes, I did just describe my own life.

There is justifiably a stigma against me and my kind, not because we’re bad people or because we mess up other people’s lives, but because everyone else naturally realizes that we have nowhere near the education, or more importantly the experience to justifiably try to comment on the ways the world operates. Which can come off as pretty pretentious and obnoxious, and I agree, it often is. I personally try to only theorize and debate with the people who share my interests, so as to minimize the annoyance factor. Doesn’t always work.

However, this is my new hypothesis:

Me and my theater kid friends trying to be Jean Paul Sartre is exactly the same as Jake Durden trying to be Tim Tebow.

In high school, we all want to be “just like” whomever we respect in the professional world, and someday we might be, the only way to find out is to try.

Everyone wants to be something they aren’t. Jake Durden is not an NFL quarterback, Joanna Hernandez is not a cable news anchor, I am not a professional actor. But we’re trying.

Which leads to my new strategy:

When I am feeling irritated by people trying to be something they are clearly not, I remember that I am in the same boat, and I try to be encouraging, hoping that eventually they will be the thing they are not now.