Make your existence an act of rebellion

I was hoping so hard for a Swanson meme. I thank you from the bottom of my weird little heart. "Why get a ham radio license?" Argh. Because I want to achieve my own Pyramid of Greatness.
- I did it! KN6HMZ here. 73

You don't gotta get high on drugs to be comfortable with your own weird vibe.

Does this happen? I think I've only experienced something close to this in high school, but never as an adult. Normally, people around me are either supportive or indifferent about someone learning new skills.

A disturbing percentage of people never outgrow highschool.
Yes, it does, especially when it's something people think is weird. I am a guy in my 20's and recently started learning to knit and I still have people telling me not to do it because it's weird. You just have to do what you want to do and give 0 fucks about what others think
- Knit your heart out man! I'm a guy in his 40s who always wanted to get a physics degree. So I've bought a bunch of textbooks. Still at the beginning and learning calculus.
People hate on stuff all the time. How many people do you know who have made a derisive joke about people who hang truck nuts or something similar?

Yucking others' yum is an incredibly common occurrence.
- derisive joke about people who hang truck nuts
  
  Deserved
Sure, people are gonna be supportive, but there's definitely a peer pressure along the lines of "but how is it gonna make you rich or famous" in way too many fields.
Many people never matured beyond high school.
I think a lot of people use this as a way to start a conversation about what the person is doing and don't think to ask it in a less confrontational way. Some people can't handle seeing someone doing something that they thought they can't or shouldn't do. Most people don't care or see another person doing what they please and respect that.
when does it not happen? as long as you don't enjoy the same thing as other people, they will judge you

Sometimes I care about other opinion

Permanently Deleted
- I went to a renaissance faire recently with some friends. We dressed up, drank booze, watched a few "shows", and wandered around -- it was a blast.
  
  It's something I would have been mortified to admit to doing in my teens or 20s.
- Something that helps too is not being surrounded by people who will discriminate you for being who you are.
Sometimes it's good to care. If someone is saying you're acts are immoral irresponsible or genuinely with your interests in mind you should listen and make a decision. If its someone saying you're being odd or being weird they're projecting their own self consciousness to stand out from the crowd.
- People can and will argue that whatever you're doing they don't like or inconveniences them is immoral to manipulate you into not doing it.
  
  They'll even twist morality around to mean that you can't act with confidence or do anything different from what they want.
  
  So no one should take morality arguments seriously either
- What?
  
  Edit: I was trying to reply to this guy: https://sopuli.xyz/comment/2208083 Wups

Absolutely. I hate having to justify everything I do. Sometimes I just want to do something for the fun of it.

The absolute joy of doing something just because you want to, is unbeatable

I love this

Because... why not?

So the answer is “because you felt like it”. Not sure why they got snarky about it