Being too much is sometimes just what is needed

Some people are just too much, as the story goes.

Or too “extra,” in the parlance of today’s youth. That is, they are more than the status quo can take. They challenge the norms, they are unapologetic, and instead of rejecting it, as is often expected, they remain fiercely committed to their difference.

Instead of embracing this attitude, we ridicule and we reject people who are too much. But isn’t it precisely those over–the–top people, those creative innovators, those “unruly” people; people, that are most needed in our world today? Instead, we minimize, dismiss, and marginalize those who do...