The “Unknowns” and the “Excluded” are people we all know and recognize, perhaps because we are surrounded by them or perhaps because we, too, feel like one. I cannot tell you what their names are — unless I look at the door tags — or who their friends are, or if they prefer science to English, or if they have siblings or lovers. What I can say is that they are not as remote as they seem because, in actuality, they live next door or down the hall. The “Unknowns” are students who pass by daily without any interaction, without so much as a squeaky “Hi.” Or if there is, there is no substance in the conversation, no real connection. They are there and you are here; no effort is made to close the widening gap that accumulates as the school year goes on. The “Excluded” are those that your friends reject due to a specific incident or because they are too embarrassed to be seen with them. They are unfortunately exiled and most of the time don’t know it. As an outsider looking in, though, it is quite obvious who is not fully accepted. Most would blame them and state, “Oh, their personality sucks!” That may be true, but what about those who are misunderstood or disliked simply because they are different?
I will not pretend that I am a saint that sees through everyone or tries to talk to every person on my floor, but at the very least, I am civil to people. I try not to talk about someone else unless I know I would say it to their face. This is not just a form of polite etiquette; it is called respect. Respect should be given to every human being, particularly if someone was once a friend. It is incredible to see how some people turn on each other at the first sign of distress or anger. It says quite a lot about one’s character when one does not even bother to inform the recently “Excluded” that they are no longer liked. This brings backstabbing to a whole new level.
The hard truth is that when someone detests another person, they gossip with their friends. This may not sound like an Earth-shattering dilemma, but their negative views will spread to others. Then, unconsciously, people will find themselves avoiding the same person without any real reason, which, unfortunately, I can personally attest to. However, I regret that I have mindlessly followed at times because there is no excuse to hurt a person’s feelings unless they were insulting and offensive. Everyone should have the opportunity to feel accepted; therefore, as a person, everyone is encouraged to develop a sense of humanitarianism.
Also, pertaining to the “Unknowns,” I must say that I loathe this label the most, or rather, the situation behind the label, not because it is not true, but because this has nothing to do with other people. The sole reason they are unknown is because I make no effort to familiarize myself with them. They have ambitions, passion and pain that I can sympathize with or even empathize with, but if I continue my pathetic lack of communication, then nothing will change. They will continue their lives and I mine. Thus, rather than lamenting all the potential friends I could have made, I will stalk the residents of my hall and gather to have a tea party.