We will find that there are many types of barriers that define and limit the boundaries of our lives. These are often the results of various tradeoffs that are made during the course of life that have permanent consequences. They can be of the simple socially recursive variety that we have already explored such as gender, age, politics or religion. Or they can be much more personal and exclusive. Anything that defines you as different can act as a social barrier. Sorry it's true.
I think in this situation it would be best for me to start with an example of my own distinctiveness. I may be built like a small 57 year old tank of undeservedly good health, but I am a nerd. (Can't you tell?) Even if I wasn't walking around with books on math and physics people are able to tell I am very well educated and that I'm proud of it. I ran and hid in libraries when I wasn't able to hide in other ways. Even during psychiatric hospitalization, I was told that my choice of reading material was intended for use as a social barrier. This is obviously a rather vain choice of possible social barriers but in many ways it is no less effective than a drug addiction or chronic swearing. Thus it could be said that my choice of social barriers might in fact be even more antisocial than drugs or obscenity. {Woof!} It is not my choice to be arrogant, but I am that petty. Add the fact that I have tried to hide myself behind drug addiction and course behavior. I have come to the opinion that intelligence can be much worse than bad manners or debauchery if your intention is to be left alone and misunderstood. (Oops. Did I actually come right out and say that?)
I actually say to people, "I am a professional psychic," and I don't even believe in the "supernatural." (I prefer the term, SUPERNORMAL.) What is my major disfunction? Fortunately this isn't about me. We don't have the time to unravel all the reasons why being antisocial isn't always anti social. Drug rehab isn't lonely and some people have made successful careers out of shouting profanely for public display. There is a reason intelligence is measured in "Standard Deviations." I have lost far more friends from being spooky smart than I have because of escapism or acting out.
If I want to find knowledgable readers to participate in this exceptional literary experiment, I must go on the web and appeal to scholars in other countries. People who share my interests are few and far between. Are we talking about real social barriers? Yes, I think we have done it. I could only hope that this process of categorically counting all the enumerable possible human distinctions is as rewarding for you as it has been costly for me. We are literally talking about the calculus of variation. How many possible variations are we talking about?
I would choose that you should not have to alienate yourself, but if so, so be it. "What was a once wall has now become a window. "What was once a door has become a bridge. To where, I do not know."
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