I Never Want to Be Vanilla

I say this too much, but it’s true

I Never Want to Be VanillaI say this too much, but it’s true


I say this too much, but it’s true

I never want to be vanilla

What I mean by that is that I always strive to be different from the norm. And here is my reasoning:

No one comes back to the ice-cream parlor for vanilla. No one ever talks about the great vanilla they had the other day. And, frankly, most people don’t care about the vanilla.

You see, vanilla is not bad. Most people would eat vanilla. It is probably one of the ice cream shop’s best sellers. People like vanilla. They don’t love it.

As of late, I have met a lot of people that, to me, fit the mold of vanilla. Ok that seems rude. What I mean is that a lot of the conversations I have been having are unmemorable and, yes, boring. They are conversations about things with clear answers — they don’t make me think! People ask me things they could find online or on some linkedin profile.

I like to be engaged — I like to be pushed to the limit. I like to be asked questions that challenge my thought — because that is one of the best ways for me to grow.

And vanilla things and vanilla people do not do that for me. In the same way that vanilla ice cream does not bring new people in to the store, vanilla people do not bring me new ideas or thoughts.

This is why I strive everyday to not be vanilla. I like to have interesting stories and have unique experiences.

I believe everyone has the power to be different. But societal pressures and big distractions block people from reaching their own, unique potential. You have to be really self-aware and constantly ask yourself the question — what am I doing? And am I happy with that?

If that answer is yes then who cares? Do things that you want to do.

For me — I want to learn a ton — and talk to really interesting people along the way. I don’t want to be vanilla, and want to be different, because that is the only way to engage in interesting conversation.

Join me!


Woah. You read the whole thing! Thank you so much. I’d really appreciate if you shared this with a friend!

Let’s continue this conversation

twitter — @jrdngonen

email — jordangonen@wustl.edu

By jordangonen on June 9, 2016.

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Exported from Medium on February 17, 2018.