Societal Strings
In life, despite the amount of differences between individuals, society has developed specific expectations that each individual must adhere to or else they are perceived as outsiders. As exhibited in John Robison’s memoir about how he made the most of his life while living with Asperger's, Look Me In The Eyes, in order to achieve a fulfilling life, one must not feel compelled to conform to societal expectations. By not complying to what society deems as “normal”, one will increase their ability to prosper in love, success, and self-development. To begin, society’s expectations of love are strong. Many people strive to have the perfect relationship which entails a group or pairing of “perfect” individuals and many very high …show more content…
Robinsons development of communication increased tremendously as he did not allow societies expectations of being acquainted with people having Asperger’s to get in the way of forming friendships. When he was young, due to his disability, it was hard for him to make friends and keep them. This was due to his unintentionally poor word choice and inability to control his “inappropriate facial expressions”,both things relating to Asperger's (29). .People reacted to his non-conventional behaviours by saying “if he doesn’t get better, he may have to be institutionalized” and “he’s a weird kid” (29). He did not know why he acted this way but he “couldn't help it” (29). When Robinson was twelve, his communication had already drastically improved, however people “had even higher expectations for [him]” (29). Against the pressure for him to conform to fit societal standards, he did not give in to what others wanted him to become. Instead, he decided to improve his social skills solely for himself. With persistence and dedication, his efforts have allowed him to “manage to make and keep a few friends” (40 chapter). The previously outcasted child had grown up into an accepted adult to many by all not complying to what society deems as “normal”. In fact, he has started to see that “...asperbians are better than normal!”(288)Consequently, his prospering self-development has caused “[his] life today is immeasurably happier richer and fuller, as a result of my braid continuing development. Additionally, not conforming to society's expectation of obtaining a financially stable, adult job for the rest of his life, Robinson was able to develop his unique passions. Robinson pursuing his love for both music and engineering allowed him to get a job with a national sound company. His passion constantly increasing opened up many opportunities for him. Robinson got a once in a