Most people can get used to anything if you do it long enough

Hawk, the greatest skateboarder in history, gives the following advice to entrepreneurs:

Take pride in what you do, even if it is scorned and misunderstood by the public at large. 

That’s been one of the great frustrations of wearing a nametag every day. Some people just don’t get it. They may never get it. And although it’s not worth burning any calories to justify my idea, here goes nothing. 

Wearing a nametag all the time is not ironic and sarcastic, it’s literal and earnest. 

Scott is my real name, and the goal is to use that piece of information to meet people.

It’s not trying to be cool or funny, it’s sincere and useful. 

Even if people are suspicious about my motives when they first meet me, over time, the nametag usually grows on them. 

Because it’s one less thing to remember. 

Besides, most people can get used to anything if you do it long enough. 

Next, from a psychological standpoint, the nametag is not a prop for me to hide behind, it’s a pure and vulnerable expression of my true self. 

Reminds me of support group I once joined. At my first meeting, two of the members insisted that I took the nametag off during our weekly get togethers. They said it was a disruption to the integrity of the container of the group. 

Christ, get over yourselves. It’s just a sticker. 

Here’s another misunderstanding. 

Wearing a nametag is not a plot or a street hustle, it’s a way for me to give myself away. 

This one surfaced once I started living in a big city. People see me wear a nametag at a party or a bar or even walking down the street, and they immediately contract into a defensive posture. 

You’re wearing a nametag? Wait a minute, what’s your angle? What are you trying to sell me? 

Dude. Nothing. Relax. It’s a sticker. 

And lastly, it’s not some grandiose piece of performance art or political statement, it’s a tool for provoking joy. 

It’s always entertaining when people give me way too much credit. They assume far too complicated of a strategy behind this quirky social experiment. 

It’s simple. Nametags are fun. They make people friendlier. They make life more interesting. 

Isn’t that enough of a reason to wear one every day? 

The good news is, after twenty years of walking around with this sticker on my shirt, I no longer feel hurt or attacked when someone misunderstands me. 

Definitely annoyed. But that’s the price you pay when you stick yourself out there. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What have you done long enough for most people to get used to?