DAMAGE IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT

qualia (/ˈkwɑːliə/ or /ˈkweɪliə/; singular form: quale) are defined as individual instances of subjective, conscious experience.

In a world where, in terms of experience, nothing is certain, how do we classify who is damaged and who is not? Why should we feel discomfort in the truths of our being? Perfection is an ideal and imperfection is ineffable. If to be damaged is to not fit in, be different, not coincide with the normative rules of society, but to live according to your own accord – then I’d rather be damaged than be a functional, superficial being unable to experience freedom because of his inability to confront the truth within his or herself.

We are all trying to make sense of our existence. We came into the world clueless, tabula rasa — a blank slate. It's not like we have been oriented on the true way of life or maybe we were poorly oriented; boiling complexities into one concept such as science, destiny, or religion. There is no manual because there is no single prescribed template of living, just countless tips on surviving. I am perplexed by how much the demands of society should affect me.

On one hand, it establishes the futures we dream of; through its systems we are able to create concepts that would have otherwise not existed if not for collective imagination and knowledge —sciences, law, jobs, institutions, corporations. And on the other hand, it might lead us astray to what is integral in life — self-actualization, love, trust — that couldn't be objectively defined.

In biochemistry, it has been found that brains have similar structures but still, we have different reactions. It is because we differ in the degree or intensity of response to a property. This brings us to the subjective qualities we can't describe but feel through our own conscious experience— Qualia . Phenomenology or the study of consciousness from a first-person point of view analyzes the difference of each and every Quale.

Society has its way of making things generic; even people are required to act a certain way to fit in, finish a certain degree to be able to operate, have a certain belief that compliments those around him or her. The rebels are often tagged as damaged. Our complex world has been dumbed down that it lacks perspective. To exist is not just to be a matter but to be a thinking and feeling thing. We have to recognize that though we came from the same species, we differ in how we view, feel, and experience the world.

Journalists always seem to champion truth and that is what my ideal world would be — a world of people true to themselves and their nature. Although we are far from unraveling the truths of the universe, I am here to encourage you to flourish in your own truth. That means recognizing that you are different and so is everyone. To acknowledge that truth is to take responsibility of yourself and how you treat others. To acknowledge the truth is to know that your difference doesn't make your emotions less valid, your experiences less important, your existence less valuable; it is to know that your life is a masterpiece on its own. And when you feel that you are damaged or less than beautiful than you should be, remember that you are constantly in the pursuit of being the truest that you can be. It is not where it ends, it is merely a part of a process.