I went and saw “The Imitation Game” today. Watching the portrayal of Alan Turing trying to fit in was both awkward and painful. Awkward because I could see several of the portrayals in my own behavior. Painful because it was obvious that the man was tormented by his differences. I watched an awkward school boy grow into a man with incredible talent. A talent that others denied and finally disowned. The man suffered and eventually committed suicide because of this denial.

There’s actually a name for this denial called “imposter syndrome.”  Alan Turing was not able to see past the condemnation of others.  While Wikipedia can justify almost anything, I’d bet most of us can identify with at least some part of this article.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome

No matter how hard we want to believe that the world will accept everyone’s quirks and life will be wonderful, it’s not going to happen tomorrow. We’ve made what most would consider to be large strides in these areas. Yes, there is still much that is unequal and unjust in society. Much of this change has happened in the last 50 years.

Your challenge: Accept diversity. Broaden your understanding of things that are unfamiliar to you. Consider that your perspective is most likely different, not wrong. Ditto for your neighbor/coworker/fellow members of society. It is possible to coexist. And that, begins with you.