the zurkie show - stop trying to fit in

Episode Date: November 9, 2025

be unique, and if that means you're labeled weird, so be it.sending you all lots of love and peaaaaaaace!https://linktr.ee/thezurkieshow

I was called weird a lot growing up, and it took me becoming an adult to realize that those people were very jealous of me. Now, I know that sounds like an insane narcissistic thing to say, but I think that if somebody who you don't aspire to be like at all, who honestly is kind of just mid, is calling you weird, double down on your weirdness. Be weird. Be very weird. Now, okay, there is a line I need to draw with this, because let's, let's be down on your weirdness. Be weirdness. Be weird. Now, okay, there is a line I need to draw with this, because let's Let's be honest. Some behaviors, some things that people do that are not socially acceptable can also be labeled as weird. But I also think that weirdness is such a subjective term, and there is so much that gets compiled into something being weird. And I think that for a lot of us, we are mislabeled as weird when really we're just different. that's all we have different passions maybe we're not super into sports as a man and instead we like

riding horses um and maybe we like dog grooming i don't know just very different niches it's so easy to look at those things and be like that is a weird person like that is an odd person but i would also say that there are so many instances where behaviors are considered weird where behaviors aren't considered normal. And I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that you should not feel self-conscious about interests that you have and the way in which you interact with the world

if you know you have good intentions. And if somebody is trying to grab at straws because they feel like, oh, you're just a little weird I don't know how valid it is and I don't know if you should actually hold that much validity to it oftentimes it's so easy to just listen to what other people will say about you and what they will tell you about the way in which you interact and it's funny because do I think that certain actions I had as a young kid

trying to become friends with people who are popular or people that, you know, had Nike elite shorts in my middle school that I thought were so cool because I couldn't have them. Were certain interactions cringe? Weird. Did you have certain interactions that were kind of odd with people? Or you just didn't, like, you didn't see eye to eye with them. Is that weird?

Or is that just not being able to connect and be on the same playing field? Why do we need to have such a cookie cutter way of interacting with everybody? understand we have social norms like you know you wouldn't go up to somebody and just like start heading them and that's that's your hello like obviously but my favorite people in this world are weird my favorite people that i am friends with my partner all of these people someone in this world that would not understand them would call them weird would say oh they're just odd It's something else here now, something new. From exclusively on Paramount Plus,

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And so they're just, they're just rude. They're just, like, really disrespectful. And they play it off as, I'm just being quirky. I'm just a weird person. No, you're not protecting your peace. You don't want to take accountability for anything. Yeah, I'm just, I'm different. and I can't be understood.

Uh, really? I'm trying to be open-minded and understand you. I don't think you want to be understood. Two different things. So then again, what does it mean to be weird? I think that it actually doesn't mean anything. I think it's a perception. I think people will perceive you to be weird.

They will perceive your hobby with mini-figures. with creating your own comic book series as weird. And yes, there are certain social interactions that you might do differently. But again, I think if you have good intentions and you are somebody who respects other people and understands where their boundaries are, you're not weird. You're different. You have a different way of doing things. And, dude, I am someone who loves.

loves to like obsess over the same joke. I will make the same joke hundreds of times. And I know it's not funny. I know it's not funny. I find it funny to annoy people. That's the truth. And if they hear the same joke, it becomes canon, you know? That is my way of being weird.

Embrace the things that make you different. Stop fighting against them. Stop making it so, so hard to, exist in your own skin because you have friends in a certain social circle and you want to be like them but secretly deep down you know you're a theater kid you want to play soccer but deep down you know that you want to learn how to sew stuff so you can make a fire f1 jacket and have some you know patches and stuff on it like i cannot tell you how many people i've seen in my life that they lost themselves to the crowd.

They lost themselves to the opinions of other people. Somebody saw their interest in making beats on FL Studio, and they called them weird. They were like, you are a weirdo. Dude, come out with us. Dude, what are you doing? Like, Samantha thinks you're cute. You need to go hang out with her.

You can't be doing this stuff. This stuff is going to get you nowhere. Have people around you that are honest, but don't have people around you. around you that are going to pray on your differences. Because there are plenty of people that actually will uplift the things that make you you. And there are plenty of people that they will support your decision to cosplay as an anime character.

They will actually embrace the fact that you have interests that somebody who wouldn't understand them would call weird. And this like, suppression I think makes a lot of people long-term unhappy because it's a step in the direction of hanging out with people you don't like and trying to seek approval from people that don't care about you at the end of the day and in the same vein it's cool to like things that are mainstream I think that there was a big misunderstanding when you know nerd out was happening of like well what is considered nerd culture what is considered things that you know you're

supposed to like versus you're not supposed to like. And listen, I understand that there is inherently like a nerd culture, but at the same time, bro, people can be passionate about anything. That's honestly my take. You can like anything. It's never too early to plan your summer story in Europe with WestJet from rolling countryside to cobblestone streets. Begin your next chapter. Book your seat at westjet.com or call your travel agent. WestJet, where your story takes off. Nerd out was never about who has the more niche interests. My thing is, if you love something, be passionate about it, know about it. And be weird.

Be weird. Whatever you're doing that impacts other people, that makes other people, you know, appreciate you. What one person will find weird, another person will always find unique. And I think, with our generation especially, it's, It's so important to restore faith in doing things that make us feel like we have some kind of importance. Because, yes, at face value, collecting a bunch of different quarters that have different states and different stamp times, you know, that inherently might not give you much value other than like 25. cents per quarter, but you like it. You think it's cool. That's what matters. And there are other people that think that. There are other people that believe that. And the more that you listen to

people telling you all, like that's, that's weird, that's not a good use of time, the more you're going to get wrapped up in the opinions of other people. And we already are so addicted to hearing about what people think, that we barely make our own opinions of ourselves, let alone other people too. Now, here's what I'll say. I think that in the process when I was young of being called weird, I conformed a lot.

And I actually learned how to socialize a little bit better. I was outgoing, but I was very much, I think, disrespectful and obnoxious in the way that I was outgoing. And I think it took people that were honest to tell me that and be like, yo, you have a lot of energy. For me, it's a little too much, okay? Can you just like be quiet for more than 35 seconds? And it kind of made me be like, okay, yeah, I can, I can.

There's a difference between honesty and judgment. and I like the fact that I had people be honest to me because I think that that made me a better person but what I do regret is that in order to become more a better conversationalist more comfortable in talking to new people and not just like terrorizing a conversation

than just being you know very narcissistic about let's talk about what I like let's talk about this let's talk about this Let's talk about that. Let's talk about my Lego collection. Let's talk about it. Like, I actually started to ask more questions. I started to be a person that liked learning about another person.

But I think that it was because I was afraid of coming off as weird. So if I got the other person to talk about themselves as much as possible, I could mitigate being judged. And what that has caused in my life now as an adult is sometimes I don't share things about myself because I'm, I'm not that I'm afraid of being labeled weird because I don't care. Dude, I'm, I'm unk. Like, I'm 24, bro. Who cares? All right.

But what I fear is that talking about myself will come off as weird. When in reality, if you want to open up to somebody, you have to talk about yourself. And not in an interview way. That's another thing. I feel like people think you need to have conversation. in this way of like, oh, you know, let's talk about where I went to school. Let's talk about this hobby I'm doing. You can just like talk about anything.

You can share like a random nugget of lore. Dude, I went on tour with a band for like a month. I lived out of a van. And one time our bus slash van thing broke down in Boston and we had like seven people try to help us start it and we stayed there until like 3 a.m. You know, you can give people little bits of lore about yourself and little kind of tidbits for them to latch on to. But if you're afraid of getting judged by them, it's going to be difficult. It will be.

It'll be difficult to, like, build genuine connections with people. And I think that that is one of the problems with calling people weird by just alienating somebody who has different interests and making them feel. like they are a weirdo because they're super into engineering and they love building model airplanes or they're super into you know making pillows I don't know you know there's so much to passion there's so much to interests and hey let's be honest too there is a level of social ability is that how you call it like social cues and conversation that some people just do not have the capability to tap into, whether that's by the way they grew up, whether that's something that they have themselves.

You know, some of us are a little slower at that. It happens. But I don't think you should discredit it. I've learned that everyone has some kind of gift and their way of communicating it might not be verbal. they might be quiet they might not want to say much they might not know how to say much but if you gave them

a paintbrush and canvas they could speak to you in painting they could show you what goes on in their mind in an artistic expression that's super cool yeah on the surface that dude is a weirdo bro

he sits in the back of class he doesn't know how to talk to people I think there's something up with him. Rosen lasagna, medium power, 15 minutes. Sounds like Ojo time. Let's play. Feel the fun with Play Ojo. The online casino with all the latest slot and live casino games. What you win is yours to keep with no wagering requirements.

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Taste. View and enjoy. Via rail. Love the way. But you don't know. You don't know. I think assumptions rule this world now. And I think that people like to make judgment.

on others very quickly because it gives you a fuel to also gossip about people. It gives you a fuel to just talk about them. And I think what I've done a good job of is I give time and I give chances to the people that are a little bit odd or you would consider weird to get comfortable and actually see them for who they are. Some people take a little bit of time to open up Some people are very guarded It doesn't mean that they're weird Maybe it just means they need a little bit of time But who knows

If you're being called weird for things that you genuinely love to do And somebody is sitting there laughing at you for it Don't take it personally Just know that that person's probably miserable And they don't have any actual real interests and everything they do is dictated by either the opinions of their parents, the opinions of the people around them, or maybe even worse,

like, their insecurities of the fact that they don't even know who they are. So Zerky Show. If it's, if it's like being weird, or being yourself, or being somebody completely different, that isn't you?

I know which option I'm taken. be weird. Today's episode of The Zirky Show was filmed in beautiful sunny Austin, Texas on the St. Edward's Greenbelt Trail. It's so nice out here. So many cactuses, so many beautiful little shrubs and trees.

If you're ever in Austin, Texas, come and check it out. If you want more Zerky Show, here's where you can find me, you can watch it, you can scroll, you can stream it, the choice is yours. Tell a friend, a sister, a brother, to tap in.

Or not. If you want more of the Zirky Show, These are the best ways to find me. You can watch it. You can scroll it. You can stream it. The choice is yours. If you want to tap in, these are the best ways to tap in.

Do the things that bring you joy. I got a splinter during this episode. Check this out for my cactus. That's awesome. If you're trying something new, just know that I believe in you. And Zerky Show, sometimes it's good to treat yourself like a little kid and listen to yourself and see where you need to go. See if you need to take a break.

I have listened to myself a lot more recently. And it's been really good for me getting out of my creative little. rut that I've been in. Forgive yourself. You're not doing so bad. It feels that way, but I promise you. You're doing a lot better than you think. If you're trying something new, just know that I believe in you again.

And Zirky Show, as always, I am sending you lots of love. And peace!