Poll: What Makes a Social Outcast?

[Shock and Awe]

Project Time! I have a school project where I have to interview people about what they think makes a social outcast, so here are a few questions,

1. What Would You Define as a Social Outcast?

2. Do You Think What a Person Thinks of Them Self Has a Large Impact on Whether or Not He/She is a Social outcast?

3. What Do You Think Usually Makes Someone Unpopular?

4. Do You Consider Yourself a Social Outcast?

I Will Answer my Own Questions as Well,

1. Someone who sees them self as someone with little to no good friends, or otherwise alone in society.

2. It think someones self perception has almost everything to do with if they are a social outcast or not.

3. Usually being different from what most people from major social groups define as "cool" and being proud of it does this most of the time, though most of the time these kinds of people(like me) find a niche group(s) to be part of, social outcasts seem to me to be the ones that do not find a niche group.

4. No. Though I will admit that I am not by any means popular, I fit in with people in my AFJROTC corps very well, and I have quite a few friends in many social groups. That being said, I would guess that at least 50% of people who no me dislike me to some extent.

 

[arcticphoenix95]

I think that a social outcast is someone who doesn't like people, and not life.

 

[Julianking93]

1. Someone who has no friends and is generally disliked or unknown to the social community.

2. I'd say so. Typically those who are full of themselves tend to have more friends than those who don't like themselves or are rather modest in their ego

3. Usually someone who doesn't follow social norms and decides to be different than the average person.

4. Yes. I am pretty much everything I just described in real life

 

[Marter]

1. What Would You Define as a Social Outcast?
Someone who either doesn't fit in with other people, or chooses to be away from others.
2. Do You Think What a Person Thinks of Them Self Has a Large Impact on Whether or Not He/She is a Social outcast?
A little. If they have no self esteem, they are not going to want to be a part of society. If they think enough of themselves, it pretty much boils down to personality.
3. What Do You Think Usually Makes Someone Unpopular?
Personality. If you are generally un-likeable, nobody is going to want to spend time with you.
4. Do You Consider Yourself a Social Outcast?
No. I may only have a few friends, but that is because I haven't found all that many others who share the same interests as I do. I also have trouble bringing up my feelings with people who I don't know well, and some believe that to be off putting. I can however make friends with people who I want to, I just don't want to most of the time. I would rather have a few close friends than many not-so-close friends. Quality > Quantity in this case I suppose.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

A social outcast is created when someone reveals their true nature to the world, only to be mocked and ridiculed. This causes a deep-seeded resentment toward others, causing the person to shun the world as they have been shunned. Either this person creates a more acceptable social veneer or they stop interacting in the outside world. This leads to anger and hate; both for the outside world and for themselves. They hate not fitting in and hate the world for not accepting them.

 

[Kelbear]

I'm not like other people but I know how to socialize and find common ground. They don't need to be rabid Trek fans.

The art of small talk is useful for career-building.

 

[Booze Zombie]

The social outcast always seems to be the guy who refuses to believe he's wrong and by extension, the reason they "never think they're wrong" is because they don't want to be wrong, because it would shatter their fragile psyche, the third question, I would argue, is answered by my first two responses and on the last, I avoid people, but by choice, so, you decide.

 

[x_the_eliminator]

I think a social outcast is someone who is afraid to step outside their comfort zone (I call it uncomfort zone) and talk to people. It's easier for people to just not talk or make any attempt to gain real friends so they sit back and hope that someone will come to them and be their friend. It's kinda sad.

 

[Good morning blues]

1. What Would You Define as a Social Outcast?

Someone who has few friends or an insufficient level of social contact.

2. Do You Think What a Person Thinks of Them Self Has a Large Impact on Whether or Not He/She is a Social outcast?

Absolutely; it's the primary factor. This isn't meant to imply that social outcasts bring their pain on themselves (although there are social outcasts that I would say this about), but it's a simple matter of self-fulfilling prophecies. Someone feels like they have no friends, so they stop making the effort to have normal social interactions. Eventually they just forget how.

3. What Do You Think Usually Makes Someone Unpopular?

A lack of self-esteem. These people would probably say that it's due to some sort of stigmatized attribute that they have, but that's avoiding the issue. Everybody has stigmatized attributes. Many people have the same attributes that these people blame and operate perfectly well. Unpopularity is the result of a combination of stigmatized attributes and an unwillingness to overcome them. This unwillingness could be due to learned helplessness, a feeling that the person in question isn't worth the social attention of others, or any other of a legion of reasons.

4. Do You Consider Yourself a Social Outcast?

Not at all.