By Lina Norris-Raman, TIWP Student

Don’t raise your hand in class. Nobody likes a know-it-all. Just sigh and stay quiet, knowing your answer has layers that the boy beside you (so proud of his simple response) can’t even imagine. Don’t speak up when some prepubescent boy says something truly misogynistic. You’re supposed to want them to like you, and disagreeing will only push them away. So you just swallow your anger and stare at your screen, your whole body tense. Don’t question. Don’t disagree. Just follow the crowd.

But also, be original. Nobody likes someone basic. Don’t copy, just know what’s cool. Stand out, but not too much. Don’t act childish, and don’t act too grown up – don’t actually BE mature but be what they think mature means. Don’t stand up for others. Don’t have empathy, but pretend to. 

Never look bad. Never cry. Never show you’re human, that you might break. To be admired, don’t be shy. Make jokes. Be loud, but funny. To simply survive, keep quiet. Care about being liked, but don’t act like you’re trying to be popular. Don’t act like you care about anything except the things they deem important. Never come to realize that those things are not. Never say no. Most importantly, never realize you’re wasting your life trying to fit into a box. Never realize your potential. Never, ever try to fix yourself. Somehow love yourself in this generation, but not in a way that seems cocky. Call yourself horrible names, but still love yourself. Never call yourself beautiful, whether you mean it or not. Never realize that it’s impossible. Never realize that it’s all impossible.