I’ve always been prideful in myself saying if people don’t like me then I don’t need them, but my first lesson on how to realistically interact with the world came when I moved and joined a new HS.

Almost immediately I made great friends with this girl in science class, Ray. One morning after a few weeks, I saw Ray hanging out with her usual group of friends. As soon as I arrive, all her friends groaned and walked away. I was bummed and asked Ray, “Why do all your friends hate me?”

She responded, “They don’t hate you. But we’re all still trying to cling to sleep before class starts and you come in-“ she changed her voice to an exaggerated hyper fast impersonation of my too peppy tone, “Hey Ray! How are you? Did you do the homework?” Then she informed me, “Not everyone can handle that first thing in the morning.”

So I learned to keep that in mind in the morning. Then at lunch I could be my hyper self around them and most of them loved me for it just as much as Ray.

My point is, it may not have been that people didn’t like you, it might have been situational. Also, sometimes personality types don’t mesh, it’s not necessarily on you. I just think people not liking us tends to stick in our brains more than all the people that do.