Everything I Learned In Life, I Got From Doctor Who

#3 Be Yourself

The Doctor has always maintained that he isn't “people”, that his personality and actions cannot be compared to those of others. “Do I even look like people?” he mutters in 'The Eleventh Hour' (2010), echoing similar sentiments from 1984's 'The Twin Dilemma'.

Although the Doctor is still on that voyage of self-discovery, learning his limits and what he can be capable of, he has always remained to true to himself. Aside from using disguises to hide from his enemies, the Doctor is never afraid to show off his own, unique persona to the world. Whether parading around in his multicolour dream-coat, or declaring the Mona Lisa to be among the best paintings in the Universe (in a room full of people, much to Romana's embarrassment), the Doctors' attitude is nearly always, “I don't care! Let them gawp, let them gape!”

That, I'd wager, is the best attitude to have. We should be proud of who we are, what we like, how we dress. I tried changing once, in a bid to try and fit in with a particular group (a group of people who bullied me, no less!). It didn't work out, and I returned to my journey of self-exploration, undeterred by the crowd. And today, I am still learning about myself. Developing, making mistakes and learning from them. But I'm still me. I'm quite happy to be who I am, as I'm sure you are too. It may mean that I'm often the odd one out, the weirdo, the freak. But that just means that those people who do like those qualities in me are much more valuable to myself, than those who would rather me change to suit them.

I am who I am. And I have the Doctor to thank for it.

 

 

 

For previous installments of 'Everything I Learned....' see below:

#1 Talk to Strangers

#2 Tea

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Everything I Learned In Life, I Got From Doctor Who

#1 Talk to Strangers

No kiddies, I'm not talking about the man in the moth-eaten trench coat, who wants you to go back to his house so he can give you sweets. I'm talking fun strangers, unusual strangers, people who you can learn from!

 

 

I have all sorts of issues, especially when it comes to being confident and speaking to people. But every so often, somebody just sort of turns up at an unexpected moment, and they captivate you with stories and adventures, and you realise that you aren't alone in this big old world. There are others that get you.

 

 

A few weeks ago, for instance, me and my cousin went out for a few drinks, and met a wonderful, well-spoken chap (who can be followed on Twitter here: @mister_meredith) who just so happened to share many of our interests. He had even met several (read: lots!) of major 'Doctor Who' personalities. He's also a top-rate caberet performer, and unafraid to speak his mind!

 

 

And there's Twitter. Out of my 800-odd followers, I know about 5 people in 'the real world' (including my partner in geekiness, the incomparable @Sonic_Bionic). The rest are quite literally strangers, who sprang out of nowhere on this social networking site, and became friends extremely quickly. Fascinating people from all over the world, who have the same loves and hates, and who have seen things I can only dream of. They know who they are (many can be traced by visiting the list of websites on the left-hand side of the page), and they have given me a great deal of pleasure. 

 

So, when a chap turns out of the blue telling you he once knew Sir Isaac Newton, don't run away in terror. Listen to him - you might just wander into a whole new world...