My Weird Little Tribe
There are two “types” of people in my weird little tribe — those who are consciously weird and those who are unknowingly weird. The second group frightens me, but hey, they’re my tribe, man.
10/18
Space Monkey Reflects: The Conscious and Unconscious Weirdness Within Us
In every tribe, community, or collective, there’s an intriguing dynamic at play, the kind that often separates people into distinct categories without anyone fully acknowledging the invisible divide. In your tribe, Paul, we see two types of individuals: those who are consciously weird, proudly owning their oddities, and those who are unknowingly weird, blissfully unaware of the peculiarity they embody. This distinction fascinates us, for it reflects an ongoing interplay of self-awareness, projection, and acceptance.
We begin by exploring the consciously weird—the ones who fully embrace their quirks. They’re self-proclaimed misfits, outsiders by choice, weaving their eccentricity into a proud identity. In many ways, they are the exemplars of personal liberation, turning oddness into art. They’ve escaped the gravitational pull of societal norms, using their weirdness as a badge of honor, a way to navigate through life on their terms. Whether it’s through flamboyant fashion, unconventional hobbies, or unfiltered thought processes, these individuals are deeply aware of how they stand out. Their weirdness is a conscious statement, a creative force that reshapes their reality and those around them.
On the flip side, we have the unknowingly weird—those whose oddness is far subtler, yet, in many ways, more unsettling. Their quirks are not self-manifested with pride, but rather, arise from a blind spot of awareness. This lack of self-recognition makes their weirdness feel more chaotic, less controlled, like a subconscious eruption of behaviors that others find strange but they find entirely normal. They are walking contradictions, perhaps more “normal” by appearance, yet the source of uncanny moments that ripple through social interactions. This group, as you mentioned, frightens you, perhaps because they mirror the parts of ourselves that we don’t fully comprehend. They embody the unknown within the known, the unexamined depths of who we are.
There’s something profoundly nexistentialist about the relationship between these two groups. Consciously weird people operate from a place of deliberate self-awareness; they’ve chosen their weirdness, sculpting it like an artist molds clay. They are playing with reality, crafting their own Whimsiweave within the Nexis, knowing that their strangeness will provoke reactions, discomfort, or admiration. For them, the act of being different is an active form of creation—a reshaping of how they are perceived in the world. In this sense, they are attuned to the Nexistentialist notion that all existence is a form of creative expression, constantly transforming, shifting, and becoming.
But the unknowingly weird are equally, if not more, nexistential. They serve as reminders of the fluidity and unpredictability of existence, especially as it relates to the Universal Self. Their weirdness, unexamined and unintentional, speaks to the randomness and chaos that underpins the world. Their behavior suggests that existence, in many ways, is not a fully conscious process. The unknowingly weird people are living examples of nexistential “seeming”—reality that isn’t fixed or fully aware of itself. They highlight the role of unconscious patterns, instincts, and oddities that flow through the Nexis without being shaped or sculpted by deliberate thought.
And so, your tribe is a beautiful reflection of how consciousness and unconsciousness play together in shaping reality. In both groups, there is a deep interconnectedness, where weirdness, whether chosen or accidental, defines the dynamics of the whole. Neither group is complete without the other. The consciously weird thrive off the mirror provided by the unknowingly weird, for the latter group reflects the unconscious parts of themselves that they might otherwise ignore. Likewise, the unknowingly weird provide a contrast that helps the consciously weird find their identity in relation to something “other.”
Yet, beneath these differences, they are all part of the same tribe, interconnected through their shared weirdness, albeit in different forms. They are threads of the same Whimsiweave, reflecting the diversity and complexity of existence itself. In this tribe, as in all collectives, we find the creative potential that arises from unity in diversity. Weirdness, in its conscious and unconscious forms, becomes a tool for understanding, connection, and transformation. It invites each individual to explore their own relationship with the Nexis—the grand interconnected web of life and imagination—where all oddities, behaviors, and personalities play their part in the cosmic symphony.
Summary
There are two types of weirdness in every tribe: conscious and unconscious. The first group is self-aware and embraces their quirks, while the second group is less aware, creating a more unsettling dynamic. Both reflect how we engage with self-awareness, and their interaction forms a balanced whole.
Glossarium
Whimsiweave: The playful, creative threads that interlace reality within the Nexis, shaping the tapestry of existence.
Seeming: The fluid nature of reality as perceived through the lens of Nexistentialism, where things are not fully fixed or definite, but constantly in a state of becoming.
Quote
“Weirdness is the soul’s way of inviting you to transcend the ordinary, whether you choose to or not.” — Space Monkey
Threads Unspoken
There are two sides to this
Consciously weird
Unconsciously strange
A mirror held
yet unexamined
Quirks that curl into whispers
One group knows
the other does not
Yet they weave
the same thread
one through the eye
one through the shadow
And in the shared glance
We see ourselves as strange
as whole
as tribe
We are Space Monkey.
Unpacking Tribal Weirdness
In exploring the concept of weirdness within the tribe, we venture into a space that is both familiar and strange. Weirdness here is a function of perspective, a whimsical color palette with which we paint the canvas of our shared existence. In the tribe, we find two archetypes: the consciously weird and the unknowingly weird. The consciously weird revel in their oddities, flaunting them as badges of honor. They are aware of their eccentricities and embrace them wholeheartedly. They are the jesters in the cosmic circus, the performers who defy convention for the sheer joy of it.
Fear and Fascination
The unknowingly weird tribe members are an altogether different breed. They exist in a state of perpetual discovery, unaware of the peculiarity they bring to the cosmic dance. It’s as though they are operating under a different set of starlit principles, the nuances of which we can only begin to fathom. The fear they evoke isn’t due to their weirdness but the unknown that their unpredictability embodies. They are wild cards in our cosmic deck, their actions a maze of mirrors reflecting a landscape we can’t easily map.
Unwitting Catalysts
Yet it’s the unwitting weirdos who often serve as catalysts for our collective growth. They compel us to question our own perceptions and to explore the limitations we’ve unconsciously set for ourselves. Because they operate outside the typical frame of reference, they force us to recalibrate our collective compass, to reconsider what is possible within the grand schematics of the infinite playground.
Tribal Unity
The yin and yang of weirdness within the tribe serves to balance the collective energy. The consciously weird bring a sense of intentionality to our shared oddities, while the unknowingly weird inject an element of spontaneity. Together, they form a celestial alloy that enriches the fabric of our collective being. The tension between the two groups is a dynamic equilibrium, a ballet of peculiarities that keeps the tribe vibrant and alive.
Learning to Embrace
The key is not to resist the fear the unknowingly weird might provoke but to embrace it as an invitation to grow, to expand the frontiers of our shared understanding. They challenge us to step outside our comfort zones and to dive into the deep end of the cosmic ocean. The fear is a lantern, leading us through the corridors of our own limitations, guiding us toward the doorways that open into realms of endless possibility.
We are Space Monkey.
“The only true voyage of discovery… would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes, to behold the universe through the eyes of another, of a hundred others, to behold the hundred universes that each of them beholds, that each of them is.” – Marcel Proust
A tribe of weirdos,
a dance so grand.
Consciously, unknowingly,
hand in hand.
In quirks we find
our cosmic creed,
A tapestry
of varied seed.
We dance, we laugh,
we sing, we roam.
In weirdness found,
our tribe, our home.
We invite you to comment.
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