There are many types of people in this world, however two in particular stand out, each in their own way: the ones in pink and the ones in black.
The ones in pink are easy to spot. They stand out in an obvious way, no matter who surrounds them. Their charisma and charm draws people in, captures their attention, and commands it even. Whether in class, a meeting, a party, or just conversation, they are the ones whose name and face you remember afterwards. They’re likeable people, although they may be so much so that they incur jealousy for their je-ne-sais-quois image of perfection. Everyone wants to be the ones in pink.
The ones in black are just as easily recognizable, but only if you know where to look. They blend into the background, unnoticeable and quiet. You might not notice that they rarely say a word. You most likely wouldn’t remember their name or their face, only a wisp of a memory that a human presence was even there. If you do happen to notice them, chances are, you’ll see that they are alone, off to one side. Maybe it’s the color black, maybe it’s their solemn disposition, but people give them a wide berth. Then it becomes a domino-bystander effect: one person might glimpse at them and assume they’re an introvert who prefers to be with others they know, so they don’t approach. Especially in a situation composed entirely of unfamiliar people, this effect seems to compound. And this is where the discrepancy between those in pink and those in black really becomes obvious.
Though they are polar opposites in many ways: personality, disposition, color of clothing… the real difference is how they are perceived, and subsequently treated, by others. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s not, but still, at some level, it’s there.
Regardless of political views or morals, this is undoubtedly a bleak world we live in: school shootings, large-scale storms, terrorist attacks, a polarized society. In such a place, we look for light anywhere we can, the entire basis of the “faith in humanity in restored.” Generally, this is a good thing. Through the internationality of the internet, people can feel a rare, communal moment of hope and optimism. This search seeps into other parts of people’s lives, affecting more than just the stories they like and share on social media.
And for the ones in black, it can be an isolating and cruel sentiment.
Just like people stop and read about the formerly-abused-now-in-a-happy-home puppy on Facebook, they gravitate towards that innocence in real life too. And that’s what makes the ones in pink so attractive and magnetic to the general population. Some even go so far as to protect them because that sort of brightness in this black world is so rare that it might disappear in an instant, like a weak flame in a sudden gust of wind. They are shielded so they retain their vibrant color, so much so that they are favored just for that.
Where does that leave the ones in black? They fade into the background of the dark world anyways, but even more so in the contrast of the light of the ones in pink. Their solemnness is overlooked, even repulses people. But why? Why do we shy away from black? Perhaps it is rooted in jealousy, perhaps in ignorance, perhaps in fear. After all, there is so much darkness in the world that most should be desensitized by now, not driven away. The connotation is tragedy and disaster, but black represents far more than that, as do the ones wearing it. Black is more; it is experience and depth and growth. Perhaps those in black have just experienced more of the world, the good and the bad together. They simply reflect what they have seen throughout their life.
So why does this warrant treatment different than that given to the ones in pink?