Invisibility, a superpower for some, a curse for others. How does one gain the superpower of being invisible? The easiest way is simply by becoming homeless. The less material possessions one has, the less visible they are. The more material possessions one has, the more they are noticed, especially when one is in possession of fancy, shiny, and glimmering things. If you ever want to know what it is like to be invisible just put on some old ragged dirty clothes, wipe a little dirt on your face and go stand in the middle of a bustling city. You will truly know what it is like to be invisible. Most won't be aware of your existence, and some will give you a side glance but will have forgotten you within seconds. You may have one person offer to buy you food or give you money but you will know it's just so they can feel better about themselves and it's not actually about you.
There are other methods that can gain you the superpower of being invisible but they're not as easy. There's always physical disfiguration and severe mental illness. The trick is that most of us fear being homeless or disfigured or having a severe mental illness so when we see someone or something that reminds us of our fears, we avoid them, so we don't have to face them. All over this country (U.S.A.) cities are putting up anti homeless architecture and police are constantly destroying homeless camps. No one wants to see the homeless, so we force them into hiding. We tell ourselves we don't want to see them because the homeless are just drug addicts, mentally ill, or criminals. The part that no one says out loud is we just don't like to be reminded that we could end up the same as the other homeless.
a 2021 study from the University of Chicago estimates that 53% of people living in homeless shelters and 40% of unsheltered people were employed, either full or part-time, in the year that people were observed homeless between 2011 – 2018. While there are homeless who are drug addicts, mentally ill, or criminals. The fact is there are plenty of homeless people who just ran into some bad luck and didn't do a single thing to deserve it. If we admit that, then we would have to face the fact that it could happen to us too and that's obviously too terrifying for the majority of us. *Side note: No one should be without a home even if they are a drug addict, mentally ill, or a criminal but that's another topic for discussion.
Does the idea of being invisible sound more like a curse? That's just your pride, it's ok, we are all born with pride. Pride is nothing to be ashamed of, but it also doesn't have to dictate your actions. Early humans adapted to be part of a community to survive. There is safety in numbers, easier to hunt and gather, and easier to build shelters and fire for warmth. For early humans being in a community was not only essential but also made life more enjoyable. One way pride gets in the way of the community aspect of humanity is to convince humanity that it is "better than others", so we accumulate as much as possible to prove the idea to ourselves. The more someone needs to be seen and heard, the more pride they have. That's why people who lose their home and become invisible become humble very quickly, the choice is out of their hands, society forces them to become humble, either that or their pride causes them to lose their minds.
Invisibility is really only a superpower for people who are humble. For people with little to no pride, the idea of being seen and heard is uncomfortable and/or terrifying. If we go back to early humans, blending into the community was a good strategy plan. Look at antelope being chased by lions; the lions will usually grab the antelope who is separated from the pack being that they are easier prey. A group is much harder to kill than an individual. Humans who blend in and like not to be seen and keep to themselves are simply doing what humans have been doing for thousands of years. Which is not getting separated as to become prey.
For others among us, we have become invisible due to a neglectful upbringing or an abusive relationship. We feel invisible and don't want to be seen and yet, we are terrified of actually being seen by anyone. Many of us have social anxiety and are caught in a loop of feeling invisible while not wanting to be and being too scared to do anything about it. Therapy helps, journaling helps, mediation helps, that is if you want to get out of the cycle. Often times we are more comfortable just staying in our uncomfortableness than trying to change it which is completely understandable.
There is no right or wrong way to live your life. People full of pride are just peacocking, trying to attract mates or be a leader or are dealing with insecurities. People who prefer to blend into the group are doing what humans have been doing since the beginning. People who feel invisible don't ever deserve to feel that way unless it's a choice they made.
If you feel invisible and you don't want to feel that way, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU, YOU ARE NOT INVISIBLE! You exist and you aren't invisible. Not only that, but you are Loved so very much! I know it's hard to believe that anyone cares about you when there may not be anyone physically around you or you may not have anyone in your life. I know how alone you can feel at times, I know how hard it can be just to get up in the morning when you don't have anyone to share your life with, and I know how hard it is to just be alive. Noone ever deserves to feel alone. You are not alone, there are people all around you who care about you even if you can't see them, even if they don't ever tell you. You are not alone, and you are Loved! Love and Peace!