Embracing our differences should be something we all value, as it’s our uniqueness that adds depth and interest to the world. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the reality.
Many times, those who stand out due to their differences are met with rejection.
This mindset needs to evolve, but it appears that it might take a considerable amount of time for this change to occur.
At the age of twenty-two, Jonathan Novick was diagnosed with dwarfism at a very young age. Achondroplasia, a genetic condition that affects a protein in the body known as the fibroblast growth factor receptor, was the cause. This protein begins to function abnormally, leading to a slowdown in bone growth within the cartilage of the growth plate, as described by Hopkins Medicine.
While most people accepted him as he grew up, everything changed when he moved to New York.
Jonathan faced constant ridicule, with people staring and hurling hurtful names at him, such as ‘midget,’ ‘short stuff,’ and more.
One day, he reached a breaking point and decided to create a film titled “Don’t Look Down on Me,” using a hidden camera to reveal the rude and ignorant behavior of people. “I wanted to stop telling people what happened to me. I wanted to show people what happened to me,” he explained.
Novick shared, “When everyone else is picking on you, making fun of you, taking pictures of you, harassing you, for their own pleasure, it makes your entire life feel worthless.” Jonathan’s story is truly an eye-opening experience.
Watch the video below to witness how people treated him.
