According to Abraham Maslow, eccentrics have many of the same traits as self-actualized people. Their most important traits—high self-esteem, self-confidence, and a sense of freedom—help them achieve happiness and longevity.
To achieve immortality, you must leave a legacy. To leave a legacy, you have to make a difference in the lives of others. To make a difference in the lives of others, you must do something extraordinary. And to achieve the extraordinary, you must venture out of the ordinary. Get it? You can't be like everyone else.
Weeks and James studied over 900 eccentrics and found that the majority of these men and women live alone because others find them too peculiar to live with. Nonetheless, spending time alone is not a problem for true eccentrics; they thrive on it.
