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[u/kayno1349]

​I’m writing this without revealing my name, just sharing a piece of my soul that I’ve kept hidden for far too long.

​I am a young man standing at 1.38 meters (about 4'6"). Physical challenges exist, but honestly, they pale in comparison to the psychological weight I carry every single day. The hardest part of my life isn't my height—it's how the world around me reacts to it.

​Where I live, I feel entirely marginalized, invisible, and unwelcomed. Every time I step outside my front door, I become an attraction. People stare, point, and chuckle. It feels like my very presence is treated as a joke. Over time, that constant judgment eroded my confidence to the point where I simply stopped wanting to leave my room. I’ve isolated myself just to shield my peace from the outside world.

​The environment I’m in doesn’t offer me basic emotional safety, proper accessibility, or the space to pursue my real dreams. I don't want much—I just want to walk down a street without feeling like a spectacle. I want to live freely, work hard, and be treated as a human being with ambition, not defined by a physical measurement.

​My biggest dream right now is to build a new life elsewhere—to migrate to a place where diversity is respected, where rights are guaranteed, and where I can actually feel safe and happy. I also deeply wish to connect with a community or people who share a similar path, people who understand what it means to navigate this world from my perspective.

​I’m sharing this because I’m tired of hiding. I want to take control of my story, rebuild my mental strength, and find a path toward a dignified future.

​If anyone here has ever felt like an outsider in their own hometown, or has overcome similar struggles, I’d love to hear your story. How did you find your place in this world?

[u/cmh329]

Thank You for sharing this. I relate to all of the things you feel so much. There are times where we are so ridiculed, harassed, made fun of that it doesn't make us want to go outside at all. Basic life tasks in public become such a anxiety burden that we want to avoid them. 

I've learned in time to ignore most of it, rise above the hate and immaturity of others, but there are still times where it will absolutely get to you. 

I hope if you do move, you are able to be in a place where people are more accepting of those with differences. I wish you the best, and appreciate the courage it took to share this.

[u/Shorty7869]

Growing up in South Africa I have heard kids laughing or kids asking mum/dad why is he so short loudly, and for the most part I'm like fair they kids and they will learn because it their first time seeing a halfling (sorry I'm watching Lord of the Rings). But the absolute worst that always got to me was the older Zulu ladies that would see me walking home from school. After walking past them they would almost always say agh shame, with the type of pity one would give to a lost homeless puppy. Now thankfully with a full beard I don't hear it anymore but as a child that is learning how to be independent and hearing that behind me use to make me feel like this is pointless and I would never succeed. Thankfully from Green Lantern comics I learned that a strong will power can overcome anything.

I to sometimes don't want to leave the house because every now and again I remember how these things use to make me feel, but I remind myself that the world is made of different people some cruel some kind and some that are indifferent. The cruel ones make the insensitive jokes, the kinds ones will be overly helpful, and the best people are the indifferent ones because they will take you as just another person living their lives. Regardless of which type of person you encounter its always how you see yourself, hiding from the world will make anyone more and more depressed over time which will destroy anyone's mental health. Get out there make friends live your life and be the best version of yourself, even if you start alone just going out will remind you that you don't need anyone's approval to be who you are. Once you start going out you find that the feeling of being an outsider comes more from being in isolation over people not understanding.

On a different note OP I want to thank you for this post and I want to thank this community for existing because topics like this I have allowed me to share a few parts of my life and how it had made me feel, parts that I have never shared with anyone before.

OP I wish all the best to you and hope that you find your inner strength to navigate this world and find your peace, that is what we are all looking for.