We All Have That One Friend With Their Weird Little things
You know the one. They’re obsessed with something you simply cannot understand. For example, maybe it’s collecting vintage milk bottles. Or perhaps it’s knitting tiny sweaters for squirrels. To you, it looks ridiculous. To them, however, it’s a lifeline. So before you roll your eyes and ask “why,” let’s talk about letting people be. After all, sometimes the thing that makes no sense to you is the only thing keeping someone else going.
The Weird Train Museum Conversation
Conversation #1:
“You’re seriously driving two hours for a train museum?”
“Yes. And I’m excited about it.”
“But… It’s just trains.”
“To you, maybe. To me, it’s Tuesday.”
See the gap there? It’s not about the trains. Instead, it’s about what the trains represent. For that person, those old locomotives might mean childhood memories with a grandparent. Or they could be a quiet escape from a loud, demanding job. As a result, it’s simply a hobby that doesn’t talk back, judge, or stress them out. You don’t have to feel it. Nevertheless, you just have to respect it.
Joy Doesn’t Need Your Approval
Here’s the thing about joy: it doesn’t need your approval. In fact, it never has. People find happiness in strange places. For instance, some folks cry at car commercials. Meanwhile, others reorganize their spice rack for fun. On the one hand, one person’s “waste of time” is ridiculous. On the other hand, it’s another person’s reason to get out of bed on a rough morning. And that’s not dramatic. That’s just being human.
Besides, think about how you defend your own weird habits. Maybe you watch the same sitcom for the tenth time. Or perhaps you take forty-seven photos of your coffee before drinking it. Someone out there thinks that’s silly, too. But you don’t care, right? Exactly. So extend that same kindness. Otherwise, you’re just being a hypocrite.
The Weird Stamp Collection Conversation
Conversation #2:
“I don’t get the stamp thing. At all.”
“That’s fine. You don’t have to.”
“But it makes you happy?”
“Every single day.”
That second person gets it. They don’t understand the hobby. However, they understand the person. And that’s the whole point. You don’t need to share the obsession. Instead, you just need to share the respect. Let people love what they love, as long as it isn’t hurting anyone. For example, collect rusty keys. Or memorize weather patterns from 1987. Even write fan mail to a fictional wizard. It doesn’t matter. What matters, after all, is that it brings light to someone’s life.
Why People Cling to “Weird – Silly” Things
We live in a loud, exhausting world. For instance, work drains us. Similarly, news scares us. On top of that, social media makes us feel like we’re never doing enough. So if someone finds a small, weird pocket of peace, why would you take that away? After all, a little sass is fine. However, real judgment? That just makes you the person who steals joy instead of celebrating it.
Let’s be honest: some people don’t have much. For example, maybe their family is complicated. Or perhaps their job is soul-crushing. Then again, maybe they’re lonely in a crowded city. And yet there’s this one thing. This one silly, beautiful, unexplainable thing that makes them smile. It could be a ceiling fan that spins just right. It could be a spreadsheet of fictional dragon statistics. Still, it doesn’t have to make sense to you. As a result, it just has to work for them.
How to Be Cool About It (Instead of Judgy)
So next time you see someone deeply in love with something “pointless,” pause. Instead of a smirk, offer a nod. Likewise, instead of a snarky comment, try a genuine question. For instance, ask “What do you like about it?” You might learn something. Or you might just make them feel seen. Either way, you’re choosing kindness over judgment. And that’s never a waste of time.
Remember: obsessions aren’t always red flags. On the contrary, sometimes they’re anchors. For example, they might be the only steady thing in a chaotic week. Furthermore, they can be quiet acts of self-preservation. Therefore, unless they’re actually hurting someone, let them be. Let them polish their rocks, hug their vintage radio, name their houseplants.
Otherwise, you’re just adding more noise to an already loud world.
The Bottom Line (With a Little Sass)
You don’t have to understand. You just have to not be a jerk about it. And honestly? That’s a pretty low bar. So go ahead. Love your weird thing. Defend your friend’s weird thing. And laugh together about how none of it makes sense to anyone else. After all, happiness doesn’t need a good reason. It just needs room to exist.
Editor’s Note
I wrote this article because I’ve been the judged one. And I’ve also been the judge. None of us is perfect.
Here’s what I truly believe: every single person on this planet is carrying something heavy. You can’t see it. They’re not wearing a sign. But it’s there. A loss. A fear. A loneliness they can’t put into words. And sometimes, that weird little thing they love? It’s not weird to them. On the contrary, it’s a warm blanket on a cold night. It’s a friend who never lets them down. It’s the five minutes of peace in a ten-hour day of chaos.
So when you see someone smiling over a jar of buttons or crying happy tears at a rubber duck convention, don’t walk away shaking your head. Instead, walk closer. Not to understand the thing. Rather, to understand the person. A simple “I’m happy this makes you happy” costs you nothing. But to them? It could be the first time someone didn’t make them feel small for finding light in a dark world.
We don’t have to get every passion.
However, we just have to stop making people feel ashamed of themselves. Kindness isn’t about agreeing. After all, it’s about showing up. It’s about choosing to be soft in a world that tells us to be cool and skeptical and above it all. Don’t be above it. Be beside it. Be beside them.
The world is already loud and mean and exhausting. Therefore, don’t add to that. Be the person who says “tell me more” instead of “that’s weird.” Be the person who remembers that joy is rare and fragile and worth protecting. Even the strange joy. Especially the strange joy.
Because one day, someone might look at your weird little thing and not get it either. And on that day, you’ll want a little grace too. So give it now. Give it freely. Give it with a smile. And watch how the world gets a little softer, one rubber duck at a time.
— The Editor
What “To you, maybe. To me, it’s Tuesday” mean:
The line is a playful nod to a famous quote from the movie Street Fighter (1994), where Raul Julia’s character says, “For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday.”
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