Quality Quotes: Acceptance and Susan Boyle

You've probably heard about Susan Boyle, who's performance of I Dreamed a Dream on Britain's Got Talent propelled her into the internet spotlight. The Mirror also has an article telling about her past, which certainly wasn't an easy one.

As for what makes us like her so much? Here's one take on it:

No matter how much we mock those we consider beneath us, it's much more satisfying to be reminded that everyone has dignity.

That's because when we laugh at someone for being a freak, we're laughing out of fear. We're laughing because we want to prove that we are not like that loser over there. If we can shame the people who don't belong, then we can prove that we do.

When we embrace an outsider, though, we're paving the way for our own acceptance in the future. Eventually, we'll all feel like outcasts, and none of us wants to be laughed at. The Susan Boyle Story suggests we won't be. Instead of fearing for our own eventual shame, we can count on society to hear what's beautiful in us. We can trust that if we just show our true selves, we will be embraced.

Whether or not that moral is true in the real world, it's alluringly true in the Susan Boyle Story. By participating in the narrative that television has constructed for her, by cheering her on and watching her video over and over, we can not only feel good about graciously welcoming an outsider, but also feel relief for helping create a world that will someday welcome us.

I wholeheartedly agree. Here's to acceptance. (Written by Mark Blanksenship, I found it at Marginal Revolution).