The world needs all kinds of minds

Inspiration can be found in some unexpected places.

My inspiration for this column came to me from a National Geographic magazine my mom brought me called “The Secret Life of Cats.” It was a good read all the way through, but the introduction is what I kept coming back to. One line, in particular, gave me a lot of food for thought.

“Scientists are just beginning to understand the rich complexity of what it means to be feline. Looking at cats through canine-tinted glasses makes them look anti-social and unintelligent, but cats have their own reason for doing things.”

That’s always been a pet-peeve of mine. I don’t know how people can be so adamant that one is objectively better than the other when they are two entirely different species and each have their own unique qualities.

I’ve always had cats and dogs in my life. They make up some of my earliest memories, and I have a lot of love for both of them. Yet, I’ve noticed cats, especially, seem to be misunderstood by many people and get labeled with more negative terms, such as being anti-social, aloof, not as loving, hard to understand, etc.

Personally, I think those assumptions about them don’t make sense. By nature, cats may not be as forthcoming, especially when you’re comparing them to dogs, but I think labeling them as cold and distant creatures is far from the truth and is a very superficial observation.

For example, I don’t think they are anti-social. Just because they aren’t attached to you at the hip doesn’t mean they’re aloof. Spending some time away from me doing their own thing signifies independence to me, and that’s a trait I especially admire about them. I also find they are very loving; they just show it differently than dogs do.

All of this is to say that I think this misconception around cats stems from what the author was alluding to in ‘looking at cats through canine-tinted glasses’ and in doing so we misjudge, misunderstand and imply that there is only one right way to be a good pet. When, in reality, we should just appreciate a cat for being a cat, and a dog for being a dog and understand one is not better than the other; they are just different.

This concept is something I feel needs to be stressed because, unfortunately, this happens to people, too. People are constantly being put down, dismissed and told either directly or indirectly that they’re not good enough or don’t belong if they don’t think, look or act like the majority, standard population.

However, it’s important to understand we all have our own strengths and weaknesses and, what one may consider a disadvantage can actually be the opposite when we recognize the world needs all kinds of minds and perspectives.

As the famous saying goes, “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid,” –unknown.

As a personal example, I’ve always had what I’ve heard described as an introverted personality, meaning I generally tend to be more on the quiet, reserved and introspective side and, while I enjoy socializing, it can be draining at times. Throughout my life, I’ve had people and society, as a whole, point out subtly or not so subtly that this is a negative trait.

However, I’ve found that there’s actually a lot of people out there like me, and recently I came across a book I’m eager to read by Susan Cain, titled “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.”

I’ve just read a few snippets so far, but I can’t tell you how validating and comforting it is to know that what I previously considered a weakness actually has its own strengths associated with it and isn’t something that needs to be fixed.

Like looking at cats through ‘canine-tinted glasses,’ I too was overlooking my own unique qualities by comparing myself to others, when in reality I’m happy with who I am and, like cats, I take pride in doing things my own way and being unapologetically myself.

As Cain wrote, “Everyone shines, given the right lighting.”

The following message, written by special education teacher Rachel Macy Stafford, also served as inspiration for this column, so I thought it would be a fitting end:

When they say, “too quiet,” I say, “Don’t change, perceptive observer. You’re going to bring wisdom to the chaos.”

When they say, “too inquisitive,” I say, “Don’t change, great thinker. You’re going to bring answers to the toughest questions.”

When they say, “too energetic,” I say, “Don’t change, lively one. You’re going to bring joy and laughter to desperate times.”

When they say, “too sensitive,” I say, “Don’t change, deep feeler. You’re going to bring compassion to hurting souls.”

When they say, “too anxious,” I say, “Don’t change, fierce protector. You’re going to bring thoughtful deliberation to tricky situations.”

“The most important thing I did as a special education teacher was reframe the negative labels that had been placed on my students, so they could see their perceived weaknesses as strengths – and with some nurturing, we were able to grow their inherent gifts and their belief in themselves.”