How to Be Different and Great
If you want to see what others don’t see, build what others aren’t building, and live in a way that’s truly different—you can’t do what everyone else is doing.
The world works through sowing and reaping.
You can’t consume the same information, think the same thoughts, and follow the same mental patterns as the crowd, and expect to arrive at a different outcome.
If everyone around you is watching the same shows, reading the same shallow posts, and echoing the same opinions—and you’re doing the same—you’ll inevitably think just like them.
Because the truth is, the information we digest defines our sense of reality.
The Power of Depth
To be different and truly great, you must choose different wells to drink from. Read the old books—the Bible, literary prose, writings from past generations that built civilizations, not just trends.
Study history, trace the roots of ideas, and embrace first principles—the foundational truths that don’t change with culture or time.
When you do this, your thinking begins to expand. Your sense of perspective sharpens. You begin to see patterns, flaws, and solutions that others miss.
But there’s a side effect.
The Lonely Gift of Depth
When your thoughts deepen, your world shifts—and so does your crowd.
You’ll find yourself in rooms where no one understands what you’re saying.
You’ll try to share your ideas and get blank stares or shallow responses. It can feel lonely—like you’ve outgrown your environment.
But that’s not a curse. It’s a signpost.
And that leads us to Sonny.
The Story of Sonny
Sonny was a quiet thinker. While most of his friends scrolled endlessly on social media, Sonny was immersed in old books—C.S. Lewis, Marcus Aurelius, and the Bible. He wasn’t drawn to trends; he was drawn to truth.
Over time, Sonny’s thoughts became sharp, deep, and layered. He could see problems before they arose, and his mind instinctively searched for foundational answers, not just surface-level noise.
But the more his mind expanded, the less he could talk to people his age. Conversations felt shallow. He’d bring up ideas, but people would laugh or brush them off. Slowly, Sonny began to feel alienated—like an old soul in a young world.
He started to wonder if something was wrong with him.
But then, one day, Sonny met a small group of people at a local library event. They were talking about an obscure philosophy book.
He joined in, and the conversation lit up. These people thought deeply, too. They challenged ideas, asked bold questions, and cared about truth.
He had found his crew.
From that day forward, Sonny didn’t feel strange—he felt understood. He realized that deep thinkers are rare, but they always find each other. And together, they build what the world eventually admires.
Final Thought
If you want to be different and great, feed your mind differently. Read what others don’t. Think what others won’t.
Yes, it may feel lonely for a season, but stay the course—your people will find you, and together, you’ll build what the world cannot ignore.