We’ve all seen them.
The tucked-in polo shirts. The corduroy skirts. The awkwardness, quirks, and Princess Bride costumes that scream “homeschooler!” They gasp at hearing obscenities, censure parties more rowdy than swing dancing, and may not understand a “that’s what she said” joke. We know them, we mock them, we ignore them: the Fundies.
And we should all be more like them.
Before you roll your eyes, let me make something clear: I am not a Fundie. I listen to death metal. I curse. I make dirty jokes (too many, if you ask some of my friends). I even—sit down for this one—drink! (I am 21 though, so don’t break out the smelling salts). This is not me defending myself.
No, I write this because I’ve heard too many jokes, insults, and condemnations hurled towards Fundies (not to their faces, of course). The list unfurls endlessly: social awkwardness, sexual naivety, “Lord of the Rings” obsessions, public self-embarrassment, etc. My personal favorite is when they are labeled judgmental. Gee, a group of people rejecting another because they adhere to different values and preferences. Who does that sound like?
Generally the diagnosis of so-called Fundies boils down to this: they live in a bubble, and it needs to be popped. In my experience, this is almost completely false. Most people designated Fundies whom I actually talk to demonstrate perfectly serviceable knowledge of the real world and its ways. They actually do get the sexual jokes. They do know what beer is. They know what a typical college party is like. In fact, I don’t think a real Fundie that fulfills all the stereotypes actually exists. The difference between them and those condemning them is not ignorance. It is a choice not to participate in things that would not please them or suit their consciences.
That willingness to stick by one’s values at the cost of ridicule should be admired, not mocked. They do the things they want to do, and they don’t particularly care what other people think or say about them. Frankly, I wish I was so self-confident. Also, I’ve never heard them talking about how depraved Partiers are, or how much better they are for swingdancing instead of twerking. In fact, they’re usually quite humble and unassuming, just doing their thing and not thinking much of it.
That’s the attitude everyone should have at this school. You want to party? Great. You want to swing-dance? Fantastic. Who cares if never the twain shall meet? If you’re at a raucous bacchanal (or whatever the kids do these days), you probably don’t want Fundies there anyway, so what do you care if they’re not participating? The Fundies sure don’t care what you’re doing. After all, it’s a fundamental libertarian principle that you don’t attack someone else unless they’ve attacked you. Don’t break the Law of Nature and be an unjust aggressor.
The point here isn’t to lambaste one group and praise another. The point is that there is a rampant judgmental attitude at this school, but it’s not limited to one group or social circle. We all should examine ourselves and try to learn some humility, starting with me especially. I used to be a Fundie-scoffer. I thought I was too cool for those nerds with the capes. It took me a while to realize that no, I was a jerk and they were the cool ones, because they were so sure of themselves that they didn’t need to contrast their values with others’ to feel superior.
Don’t be like I was. Show the Fundies some love. They’re really just like you.
