when is a person truly outcast? is it when a door is shut in their face, or is it when they step inside but still aren’t really there? is exclusion simply about being rejected by a group, or is it about vanishing within the invisible walls of society?
but is being outcast always a bad thing? what if exclusion is sometimes a form of freedom? what if being accepted inside actually means stepping into a greater prison?
why does society push some people beyond the boundaries? and when are those left outside finally allowed in? more importantly, if one day everyone is inside, will exclusion disappear entirely, or will it simply create new outcasts?
this text argues that the outcast is not just an individual but a way for society to define itself. who is inside, who is outside, and where do we all really stand?
the outcast is a figure that society cannot deny yet refuses to fully accept. they wander like a shadow, never allowed to step on stage but always standing behind the curtain. their existence is an unspoken anomaly that society silently acknowledges.
you walk into a store, and a security guard watches you a little more closely than the other customers. you go to a job interview, your cv is appreciated, but they say, “we’ll get back to you,” and they never do. on social media, everyone talks about equality and inclusivity, yet in the real world, they never sit at the same table as you.
this is the reality of the outcast. they are not formally rejected, but they do not fit within the unspoken rules of society, so they are left outside. that’s why exclusion is rarely direct; it is mostly something you feel.
but the issue is not just an individual experience. exclusion is a collective phenomenon. an entire category of people can be distanced from what society considers ‘normal’ due to identity, economic class, physical differences, or background. you may be outcast as an individual, but the real issue begins when even your individuality does not matter—you are excluded not for who you are, but for what you represent.
deep within society, a certain logic operates:
• “if we hire one of them, they will all come knocking.”
• “if this group demands too many rights, the balance will be disrupted.”
• “they don’t think like us, they don’t live like us.”
this is how the boundary is drawn. but interestingly, this boundary is never fully defined. because clear boundaries can one day be changed. society always operates within uncertainty, allowing the outcast to believe they are inside while keeping them always at risk of being thrown out.
the outcast body: the greatest proof of identity
the outcast is not only excluded for their ideas or past. sometimes, their body alone is enough.
the body is society’s favorite tool for stigma. because it cannot be changed, is difficult to hide, and the moment it is seen, it is assigned a meaning.
• is your skin color different? people will consciously or unconsciously define you.
• are you disabled? your body makes it obvious, and people don’t know how to behave around you.
• do your clothes stand out? society will immediately label you as a ‘type.’
• are you overweight? people will treat you as if you are unhealthy, but in reality, they are just imposing their obsession with aesthetic norms onto you.
no matter where the outcast takes their body, they carry their mark with them. because society does not keep exclusion in the abstract—it makes it physical.
when you enter a space, the rules of that space may shift in an instant. eyes linger on you for just a second longer. people start acting distant. and in that moment, you realize your body has given you away.
society expects outcast individuals to erase their own presence. because their bodies serve as reminders that society does not truly abide by its own rules. their very existence exposes the lie behind the myths of equality and justice.
space: where does the outcast belong?
where does the outcast fit within space? to understand this, we must look at urban planning, the job market, and social life.
as you walk through a city, you feel that some areas are not ‘right’ for you. when you enter a luxury restaurant, the waiters watch you just a little more closely. some streets in a neighborhood are labeled as ‘safe,’ while others come with the warning: ‘don’t go there.’
society designates certain spaces for outcasts, but these spaces are usually surrounded by invisible walls.
• in the job market, certain industries are deemed ‘appropriate’ for outcast individuals.
• in cities, certain neighborhoods are considered ‘suitable’ for them.
• in social settings, some people are never fully accepted inside, yet they are never completely pushed out either.
space is the geographical face of exclusion. where a person can go determines their status within society. and the worst part? over time, people internalize these spatial boundaries. they start thinking, ‘this is my place.’
this is society’s greatest success: making the outcast accept their own exclusion.
does the outcast draw their own boundaries?
but not every story ends here. some outcasts refuse to accept the boundaries set by society. they carve out their own spaces, build their own communities, and choose to be seen.
but the real issue is this: society fears when outcasts come together. because when they unite, exclusion stops being just an individual problem—it becomes a force.
this is why society often tries to ‘divide and rule’ the outcasts:
• it pits them against each other.
• it offers small privileges, whispering, “you can be one of us.”
• it lets one in while keeping the others out, creating the illusion: “see, it’s up to you to make it inside.”
but sometimes, outcasts reject society’s rules entirely. they stop knocking on the door—because they realize the door never really existed.
this is where the biggest question emerges:
• should the outcast fight to get inside, or should they transform their existence into a new space of power?
• should they accept society’s ‘conditional inclusion,’ or should they find a way to change the game entirely?
and perhaps the greatest irony is this:
society’s biggest fear is that one day, the outcast will become ‘normal.’ because if there is nothing left to exclude, then those on the inside will no longer have any meaning either.
the outcast: society’s recycling bin
society does not truly eliminate those it outcasts. because to erase them would mean erasing the very boundaries it has constructed. instead, it recycles the outcast in different ways:
1. pity porn
• “look how good we are, see how we accept this poor soul.”
• the outcast becomes an object of charity. they exist not through their own presence, but through the mercy society grants them.
• when a beggar comes to your door and you give them money, are you truly a good person, or are you merely upholding a system that requires their existence?
2. exoticism and entertainment
• some outcast figures are turned into exotic others over time.
• society does not accept them as part of the norm but consumes them as fascinating figures.
• ethnic minority music, the aesthetics of marginalized groups, identities marketed as “rebellious.”
• the outcast is not truly accepted, but they are watched because they are “cool.”
• but are they really included, or are they just a temporary object of curiosity?
3. turning them into a threat
• sometimes, the outcast is not just “different” but declared “dangerous.”
• certain groups are deemed “undesirable” for certain jobs. certain identities become “a potential risk” for society.
• is there any real basis for this? no. but society can only construct its own normality by demonizing the other.
this is where the game begins—where the outcast is “let in,” but never fully accepted.
what does the outcast see in society’s mirror?
as goffman suggests, stigma is not just a label that society places on an individual. it is also about how the individual manages the role assigned to them.
the outcast constantly oscillates between two choices:
1. accepting the identity society has imposed on them (and internalizing their exclusion)
2. rejecting these labels and attempting to construct a new identity
but here’s the strange thing: the outcast knows what society thinks of them.
• when they go to a job interview, they already predict why they won’t be hired.
• when they enter a space, they sense whether they belong there or not.
• when speaking to someone, they recognize whether the conversation is genuine or just social courtesy.
this awareness forces the outcast to constantly manage their own identity.
they are not just a person. they are a person who must always prove themselves.
and that is exhausting. deeply exhausting.
the outcast and internalized normality
perhaps the most painful aspect of exclusion is when the individual begins to internalize it.
what does this mean?
• if society labels someone as “incomplete,” they may eventually believe they are incomplete.
• if society calls someone “nonconforming,” they may start to feel truly incompatible.
• if society constantly tells someone, “you don’t belong here,” they may eventually believe they belong nowhere.
and this is where society achieves its greatest victory:
the outcast accepts their own exclusion.
but it doesn’t stop there. sometimes, the outcast extends this internalized normality to others.
how?
• someone who was once excluded but later integrated into a part of society may impose the same exclusion on others.
• someone who was once poor but later became rich may look down on the poor.
• someone who was once oppressed may, when given power, oppress others.
because society does not just accept the outcast—it seeks to transform them and make them part of the system.
rethinking society: what can the outcast do?
so what should the outcast do? should they fight for acceptance, or should they abandon the system altogether?
there are three possible paths:
1. assimilate and find a way in
• if the system excludes you, you play by its rules and gain entry.
• but is this real acceptance, or just strategic camouflage?
2. attack the system and transform it
• can the outcast unite to shake the foundations of society?
• but the system prevents this by constantly creating new outcasts.
3. build their own space and create an alternative reality
• defy invisibility.
• reject boundaries.
• form new relationships that invalidate society’s “inside/outside” logic.
but the real question is:
can society exist without its outcasts?
because if society does not create outcasts, how will it define who is inside?
and this is why the disappearance of the outcast would force society to question its own existence.
the outcast: society’s method of self-preservation
the outcast is not just an individual experience. they are the way society defines itself. society can only understand what is “normal” by creating a figure of “abnormality.” if everyone were equal, “normal” would have no meaning. if no one was outside, being inside would lose its value.
and this is why society constructs itself through its outcasts.
sometimes the outcast is a tragedy, sometimes a comedy, sometimes a horror story. sometimes they are pitied, sometimes laughed at, sometimes feared. but they are never truly accepted.
so how does this exclusion mechanism work?
1. the outcast in popular culture: the triangle of entertainment, pity, and threat
the outcast is represented in popular culture in different ways. but there is one common pattern: they are never seen as ordinary individuals.
1. the outcast as an object of pity
• movies, tv shows, books… always the same story:
• “they have a hard life, but we gave them a chance.”
• the focus of the story is not the outcast themselves, but how kind and generous those who accept them are.
• the outcast can only exist as someone who is “rescued.”
2. the entertaining outcast: cool but still an outsider
• “look how different! how unique! we can’t be like them, but we can watch.”
• marginal characters may become popular, but they never fully cross the boundary.
• they must always remain “the other” so that those at the center can continue to define themselves as normal.
3. the outcast as a threat
• “they are dangerous, we must protect ourselves from them.”
• certain identities, social classes, or groups become criminalized over time.
• the unemployed are lazy, the poor are prone to crime, minorities are labeled with stereotypes.
• but exclusion is mostly structural. yet society refuses to acknowledge this—because if it did, it would have to question itself.
popular culture traps the outcast within these narratives, shaping how society perceives them. but the real world is not that simple.
2. the economic and class dimension: is the outcast a necessary cog in the system?
the outcast is not only socially defined but also economically structured.
• certain jobs are designated for certain people.
• social mobility is tightly controlled.
• outcasts are often forced into the worst conditions.
but here’s the irony: the system needs outcasts.
• without them, who would do low-wage labor?
• without a bottom class, how would the wealthy maintain their status?
• capitalism requires exclusion because if everyone were “inside,” competition would collapse.
so the outcast is an economic necessity. the system survives by exploiting them. but it cannot eliminate them completely—because then it would have to create new outcasts.
this is why the outcast is always made to feel as if they “could” be accepted, while that opportunity is never truly given.
final question: can society truly accept the outcast?
if society defines itself through the “us vs. them” dichotomy, can this division ever disappear?
because society always creates new outcasts.
• when one group is accepted, another takes its place.
• when one category is integrated, another is declared a “threat.”
• as some fight to stay inside, others are pushed out.
the outcast is not just a social figure. they are society’s tool for self-definition.
and perhaps the greatest irony is this:
if the outcast disappears, society will have to redefine itself completely.
how does exclusion create itself?
but what if one day society truly becomes perfect? what if one day everyone is truly equal? then, new figures of exclusion will be invented.
• a new moral norm will be established, and those who do not conform will be cast out.
• a new cultural code will emerge, and those who do not follow it will be seen as “backward.”
• a new economic order will be created, and those left outside it will be labeled “dangerous.”
society cannot eliminate the outcast. it only changes who the outcast is.
someone once rejected may eventually become “normal.” but in their place, new outcasts will be created.
and here, an absurd truth emerges:
the liberation of the outcast is only possible if society cancels itself.
but society cannot cancel itself. because if society stops being a “we,” it ceases to exist. and if society ceases to exist, then nothing remains.
so what is the solution?
so what is to be done?
1. should the outcast try to enter the system?
• but the system will never give them a real place inside.
• the day they are accepted, a new outcast will be created.
2. should the system be destroyed?
• but to destroy the system is to underestimate its ability to recreate itself.
• because even when the old system collapses, a new one will rise—and new outcasts will be formed.
3. should the system be forced to expose itself?
• perhaps this is the greatest possibility.
• because true change can only happen when the system is forced to confront its own contradictions.
perhaps the greatest power of the outcast is not to hide their existence, but to make society’s hypocrisy visible.
• if a capitalist system claims to offer equal opportunities, why do outcasts exist?
• if a country claims to be democratic, why are some voices never heard?
• if society insists that everyone is equal, why do some people never truly feel like they belong?
this is the real issue: the outcast is the figure that prevents society from believing its own fairy tale.
conclusion: society’s greatest fear
the fate of the outcast is not just about being inside or outside.
the real issue is this: society fears the outcast truly becoming powerful.
because if that happens, society will have to rewrite all the stories it tells itself.
perhaps this is society’s greatest nightmare: the outcast no longer being an outcast.
because if no one is excluded, then society itself loses its reason for existence.
and that is precisely why the existence of the outcast is not a mistake—it is a necessity.
but one day… what if the outcast truly disappears?
on that day, society itself will come to an end.
for reading
erving goffman. stigma: notes on the management of spoiled identity. new york: simon & schuster, 1963.
