It's easy to look at other people and think that everyone else feels they fit in, but often the most talented or interesting people have felt different at some point in their lives.
If you talk to friends and family, you will often find that people feel they are different in some way. And if we were all the same, the world would be so boring – it's good to be different, and to celebrate the things that make us unique.
People can feel different for many reasons, for example their skin colour, religion, accent, disability, being gay or transgender, their body shape – or just feeling like they don’t fit in. You might feel different because you or your family have experienced something really big or difficult, and you feel like no-one else can know what that was like.
Feeling different from people around you can be lonely or make you worry.
You may find it helpful to talk to someone about this – whether this is with an adult you trust or maybe even a professional. Our advice on getting the support you need can help with this.
Has someone made you feel bad for being different? Go to our Worried about Bullying page
Do you feel like your appearance makes you different? Go to our Self Image page
Did you know?
Some things that might make you feel different, like being gay, transgender or having a disability, are called protected characteristics, and The Equality Act 2010 means the law protects people with protected characteristics from discrimination (being treated unfairly for being different).
