Contents

When John moved to the city, he despised the rat-race of making small talk, attending pointless meetings and indulging in petty office politics. He refused to play by the pretentious social code that everyone seemed to conform to.

His colleagues initially viewed him as standoffish and aloof, while his neighbors regarded him as unfriendly and anti-social. But John was content with his solitary routine, which he kept up steadfastly despite the judgmental stares and whispers behind his back.

As the months went by, John's reputation descended further into the abyss of social ostracism. People avoided him and snickered behind his back.

Meanwhile, John was making a major breakthrough in his freelance writing career, where he had been crafting a controversial book exploring the darker side of society. His seclusion had granted him the focus he needed to delve deeply into the issues he felt passionate about.

John never once cared about the gossip that circulated about him or the sneers behind his back. He was convinced that his work spoke for itself, and that was enough for him.

As his manuscript neared completion, his publisher agreed to the deal, and the book's release was announced in the media. To John's surprise, his book became a bestseller within days.

He was suddenly inundated with interview requests, photo ops, and invitations to social events that he had so long avoided – people who had once scorned him were now eager to be associated with him.

For John, success had come in spite of his unwillingness to conform to societal norms. He had never felt the urge to make small talk or play social games, and he had no regrets about his solitary habits.

As he watched the crowds gather around him, fascinated by his opinions and ideas, John realized that sometimes being an outsider is not a bad thing – sometimes it can be an asset.

Version data entries

34 entries across 34 versions & 6 rubygems

Version	Path
freespeech-1.0.88	./other/stories/21
elonmusk-1.0.88	./other/stories/21
politics-1.0.88	./other/stories/21
democracy-1.0.86	./other/stories/21
politics-1.0.82	./other/stories/21
freespeech-1.0.82	./other/stories/21
elonmusk-1.0.82	./other/stories/21
ufos-1.0.82	./other/stories/21
aliens-1.0.82	./other/stories/21
politics-1.0.81	./other/stories/21
ufos-1.0.79	./other/stories/21
aliens-1.0.79	./other/stories/21
freespeech-1.0.79	./other/stories/21
elonmusk-1.0.79	./other/stories/21