Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World

Most of us have at some point in our lives felt like outsiders, considering ourselves too weird to fit in. Growing up as a Russian immigrant in West Texas, Olga Khazan always felt there was something different about her. This feeling permeated her life, and as she embarked on a science writing career, she realized there were psychological connections between this feeling of being an outsider and both her struggles and successes later in life. She decided to reach out to other people who were unique in their environments to see if they had experienced similar feelings of alienation, and if so, how they overcame them.
Weird explores why it is that we crave conformity and how that affects people who are different. Khazan examines the causes behind-and the consequences of-social rejection, but she also finds hidden upsides to being "weird." Based on interviews with dozens of experts and a review of hundreds of scientific studies, Weird provides actionable insights on issues like social anxiety and impostor syndrome. Combining Khazan's own story with the trajectories of others, and with the latest research, Weird reveals how successful individuals learned to embrace their weirdness-and use it to their advantage.