He/she is the kind of person who tries to stand out more when we are adolescents, when we are fighting to affirm our identities, our dreams, our place in the world. We are filled with doubts about what to do, and all of a sudden here comes the creep: always the leader, the one who thinks he is the best-looking, the most intelligent, the most able to face the challenges that lie ahead.
In the case of boys, normally he imposes himself by brute force or by his “smart” attitudes, as if he knew more than everybody else.
In the case of girls, the creep is always the one who seems to attract the looks of all the guys, get invited to all the parties, always be the most elegant.
During this important rite of passage called adolescence,while we suffer from feeling neglected, insecure and fragile, the creep sails smoothly by.
One fine day, when we are already adults, we think about getting together with our friends from adolescence. We organize a party, usually in a restaurant – where everyone shows up with their husbands and wives.
The creep shows up – generally married like the rest of us. We are all interested in what has become of his/her life.
The first surprise is that the creep went nowhere. Or rather, he may have taken a couple of successful steps, but soon life proved implacable towards his arrogance – the adult world is quite different from the one we live in when we are young.
When dinner starts, it seems that we have all been transported back, but soon we realize that he was just an instrument to enable us to grow. After a couple of drinks, we see the creep at bay, trying to prove a strength that no longer exists, feeling that we still believe that he is the leader of us all.
We smile, exchange kind words with everyone, pay the bill and leave with the impression that the creep has made the wrong choice. We think: “everything in that person should have worked out right, and it didn’t”.
All of us have known a creep or two in our lives. And that’s just as well.
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but isn’t the original definition “creep” just the other way round? the nerd, the jerk, the star trek fan who will outlive all the “normalos”, cheerleaders, beaus and beauties who reign high school later on by really getting somewhere in live, finding love, having an awesome job? …yet sometimes feels so lost in his/her intelligence??? what about radiohead’s classic lyrics??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzjUjNPYzLg
nerds are a totally different thing. For example, I am an old nerd
Yeah this is creepy indeed
Alpha Male and Female wolves to begin with, latter in life cut down to size. Yes? Like’ was there anything there to begin with, and in the end what happened. For me it is like being already dead, because one must live on the battle field, and not die upon it.
I was the creep.
I had all the advantages and looks, but now I wish I had done more studying and less judging. The only good thing that came from my mistakes are the fact that my daughter is nothing like I was. She is humble,intelligent,and excepts people for whom they are; not what they are. If a time machine was created tomorrow, I would go back to elementary school and be friends with the kids that were real; not just because they had the best toys.
Цыплят по осени считают.
Плоды в дни Harvestа сбирают.
На лошади позади телеги
Ты ДАЛЕКО ведь не уедешь.
Thanks Heimo I enjoy reading your comments,
For me it is not so much having an opinion or even being wrong or right that matters…
Rather i seek to shine a little light on all the hidden aspects of myself.
We are all someone else’s creep… there is creepiness in everyone… some more so than others… it is a human trait…
I think the value of this story is the realisation that the “The Creep” is a projection of our hidden or rejected selves.
If we project, judge, vilify the creep out there (Specially the worst… most unconscious ones) our world will be full of creeps…
If we see the creep within ourselves we can love laugh and appreciate it when it comes up in ourselves and others.
For “Creep” we could substitute any other human quality or trait… these all can be worked to the positive or the negative…
When these traits are unconscious they control us but with awareness they will serve us…
As you say there is no problem with opinion when you know it is just your opinion and you are open to self discovery
Bless You
CreepM;)
Thank you Mark. It is my pleasure to read your comments. I understand what you mean. Yes, that’s one way to interpret the story. I like it. As I said, it is difficult for me at this story. I have no real access to it. But nice to think about it.
I wish you a wonderful day
Feels like i was also a creep. Damn. Where did I go wrong? Still I feel there were other creeps. Creeps to a creep!
No me doy por aludido con el articulo.Soy el que no tuve tanta suerte y que trabajé duro dentro de mis posibilidades, yo en cambio en la cena me alegro de todo lo que han conseguido mis ex-compañeros.Para mi lo más grato es de nuevo su amistad.El canalla no asiste a la cena, Paulo, creo yo.
La canaille
Lui/elle est le genre de personne qui essaye de se faire remarquer plus lorsque nous sommes adolescents, lorsque nous luttons pour affirmer nos identites, nos reves, notre place dans le monde. Nous sommes remplis de doutes sur ce que nous faisons et tout d’un coup – voila la canaille qui arrive – toujours l’organisateur, celui qui pense qu’il est le plus beau, le plus intelligent, le plus capable de faire face aux challenges qui vont arriver.
En ce qui concerne les garcons, normalement il s’impose lui-meme par brute force ou par ses attitudes, comme si il savait plus que n’importe qui.
Dans le cas des filles, la canaille est toujours celle qui attire les regards de tous les gars, est invitee a toutes les soirees, toujours la plus elegante.
Pendant cet important rite de passage, connu sous le nom d’adolescence, lorsque nous souffrons de negligence, insecurite et fragilite, la canaille voyage se passe sans anicroche.
Un beau jour, quand nous sommes adultes, on songe a se retrouver avec nos amis d’adolescence.
On organise une soiree, generalement dans un restaurant ou tout le monde vient avec leurs maris et femmes. La canaille apparait – en regle generale mariee comme la plupart d’entre nous – Nous sommes tous interesses de savoir ce qui s’est passe dans sa vie.
La premiere surprise est que la canaille n’est jamais allee nulle part – ou plutot il a pu prendre un ou deux pas vers le succes, mais bientot la vie fut implacable avec son arrogance – le monde adulte est tout a fait different de celui dont nous vivons lorsque nous sommes jeunes.
Lorsque le repas commence, tout parait comme si nous avons ete transporte dans le passe, mais tot, nous nous apercevons que c’etait seulement un instrument pour nous faire grandir. Apres un verre ou deux, nous voyons la canaille aux abois, essayant de prouver une force qui n’existe plus, pressentant que nous croyons qu’il est toujours le meneur de nous tous.
On sourit, echangeons des mots gentils avec tous, payons la note et partons avec l’impression que la canaille a fait un mauvais choix. Nous pensons :’Tout chez cette personne aurait du marcher, mais non.’
Chacun de nous a connu une canaille ou deux dans nos vies. Et c’est tant mieux.
classic :-)
but i believe that every human being has his own share of importance. Life isn’t easy on anybody to leave them fake or creepy. Its hard enough to make us realize so many values and growth is a necessity aspect of everybody’s life.
I too might have acted in this manner i.e. creepily but I refrain from calling my entire life a vain.
Even if I fall at some point in life and others seem to be more accomplished and satisfied, I’d still keep believing in myself and try all what is possible to create a fulfilling life no matter how hard the fall would have been.
there is something wrong with this blog? my comment was a respond to another comment but appears at the very end before the 2007 comments start? also, another part of it just disappeared?
when I look back at our class when we were teenagers, it does not fit the creep-stereotyping.
1. we had the beauty-group consisting of the pretty girls & handsome boys, often with average grades.
2. there was the political group, students organized in socialistic & communistic student movements, who were excellent in arguing & discussing philosophy & politic.
3. the third group was the group of “gray mice”; looked blank, or not so “in” as what was “in” at that time: too short, too tall, too fat, too much pimples, etc. but this was the group of achievers with good notes.
the three groups kept themselves separately, well, the gray mice tried to break out & belong to the two others, gaining friendships.
the whole dynamic changed on one day when one of the gray mice committed suicide & died. the whole build up structure fell apart & disappeared.
it was for me amazing how we put other topics on the side & tried just to relate to each other.
maybe from this time & belonging to group 3 … I just hate everything that looks so definite & rigid as here the characterization of the creep.
we changed our behavior of rigidly assigning roles to each other & related to each other with tolerance & respect & space. for me, it was a beautiful opportunity to leave my role of a creep.
Things have never declared themselves empty, nor have they declared themselves form;
and they have not declared themselves right, wrong, defiled or pure.
Nor is there a mind that binds and fetters people.
It is just because people themselves give rise to vain and arbitrary attachments
that they create so many kinds of opinions, and give rise to many various likes and fears.
Just understand that things do not originate of themselves.
All of them come into existence from your own single mental impulse of imagination
mistakenly clinging to appearances.
If you know that mind and objects fundamentally do not contact each other,
you will be set free on the spot.
Everything in a state of quiescence right where it is;
this is the very site of enlightenment.
{Ch’an master Pai-chang}
I am now a senior 57 But I have found a way back to adolescence. It has been pretty amazing and exciting! It is much easier to think about things, and at the same time to live as young people. Young people know how to live, what I would like to learn them again. But there are a lot of questions without answers, but maybe sometimes ………..
this story is nearly too sad! I beliefe – no, I know – I am married to one of this special characters! extremely difficult and hurtful! I have a huge heart and so much patience! But now I’m so grateful, because I’ve started divorce proceedings!
Creeps grow up too (hopefully).
Then you have the “victims” of the creeps who become creeps themselves when they are adult.
Who are most to pity?
After all we are all only humans.
Everyone have to learn to find their path in life by themselves… who I am to judge anyone elses choices?
words, words, words…
in your actions you show your true self.
we all have experienced this,but we, at times,run short of words.u no doubt,being an excellent writer…have put this experience beautifully.
Ah !ah !ah!
Thank you for sharing another illusion.;)
Keep on smiling
Love you
Marie-Christine
Thank you for the blog. I have been reading it all the time, but translation in Russian is TERRIBLE!!!! If you compare both : Russian and English versions it does not make any sense sometimes((( Even the title of today’s topic!!!! it looks like that the job was done by a computer,but not a person who could understand the meaning….
About the story. I strongly believe that a person can change in life…We all have changed.. Nothing stands still and also if I see something negative in people or things those are just my own reflections and my own problems))
Hi!
I have been a huge fan of your writings since a long time and now I finally gathered enough courage to write to you. I read this piece and I think you are so right about the creep thing. From my personal experience I have seen people or rather my classmates behave that way. Quite appealing! Good day!
Aquela luz aquela chama quando ainda ardíamos em brasa, vermelha acidental ocidental, porém vermelha comunista
Em nosso tom a palavra tinha os sons mais estranhos nas gírias, orgias que adolesciam sem inocência eu tinha certeza de tudo eu sempre tinha a ultima palavra nas minhas opiniões e Rock na alma na cabeça a calma tranqüilidade de quem atravessa a avenida sem olhar para os lados como quem atravessa a ponte da amizade só alegria.
Hoje na turbulenta juventude o trânsito confuso e a passos a passos incertos caminham nossa juventude cuidado com o farol também está vermelho e o verde é imaturo o amarelo madura depois murcho cai e apodrece e vira adubo fertilizante como àquele exitante
Käännös (suomi > englanti)
When I was young, spending and thoughts were also with it. But now, as a parent, things are different. I want to back to youthful enthusiasm, and also for parenting information. But it does not change the fact that I want to live forever young, ‘mentally’! Youth is something to pursue as a parent, too. They may be one and the same thing, but just different names. I am a new dawn of life, and wondering many things. But I think that parenting will open the doors, if I want it right! There are so many things that I want to do. But …..?
How to deal with creeps..
An old farmer had plowed around a large rock in one of his fields for years. He had broken several plowshares and a cultivator on it and had grown rather frustrated about the rock.
After breaking another plowshare one day, and remembering all the trouble the rock had caused him through the years, he finally decided to do something about it.
When he put a crowbar under the rock, he was surprised to discover that it was only about six inches thick and that he could break it up easily with a sledgehammer. As he was carting the pieces away he had to smile, remembering all the trouble that the rock had caused him over the years and how easy it would have been to do something about it earlier…
Great story Heart! :-)
I was never a creep in my school life I was the typical big gal in school who an average student.In college I changed, to some one with more confidence, though insecurities were there especially in terms of looks.
Creeps are every where. Creeps can change yes..but when I met up with creeps of my life they had not got anywhere as was said here..of course creeps can change, change is possible for anyone who wishes it.
Now I look different, some guys do look at me, I get invited to some parties if not all parties ..I but does that make me a creep now ..NO.But if I am honest with myself sometimes in my thoughts and actions I am a creep!!! I consider myself intelligent, smart, better than others and my job has made me a bully…A creep was made and let to be made..Its just a normal life!!!
Na verdade em nossa juventude de cegos loucos e espertos não sabiamos de nada só viviamos o que nos enteressava as bebedeiras os bailinhos nossa sociedade era outra mas como tudo na vida e na história os fatos se repetem de maneiras diferentes mas da mesma forma e excência.
meu filme teixeira2011wmv youtube não custa nada Paulo
Brings to mind that funny movie, with Phoebe from Friends in it. She and her friends go to their school re-union – they were never in the Cool Girl Club in school. So along they go trying to hold their own and keep face, as they meet the popular and successful ones. Phoebe and her pal get the upper hand in the end . . . integrity, good humour and strength of character come to the fore . . . and the goodies pass out the baddies on the day. There usually is a good explanation for the creeps behaviour . . . bad parenting can be part of it. They can spread misery, but should we send them some love and light, even from a distance? One would wonder what neglect or abuse is the cause of the creepiness ? Redemption for Creeps ? Heaven on Earth.
Dear Paulo, it is the first time I call you so, while I was reading “The creep”, I am shuddering for magic coincidence, and I fear Why? Do you read in my mind? On last friday afternoon, my school-fellow phoned me, for organizing a party,on friday 19, in a restaurant, where everyone showes up with their husband or wives, I was happy and astonished, after 44years, I’ll see my fellows of 5°A again, the classroom of the last year of scientific “liceo”. We’ll be fourteen , we’ll came from all sides of Italy and Sicily, I think that it is a wonderful, good opportunity to meet my fellows and friends, I think it is not very important the creep, because I was and am a beautiful and simple woman that loved and loves the life, and I was quite intelligent for understanding that I was born creep but I loved so much life and my friends, that I let they thought me a beautiful girl without ambition, I has been loved by girls and boys, because I playfully studied and lived, it was not important for me to descover who was I, it is important for me to descover world, life, and while you lived in harmony toghether others, so you grow up descovering new world, new life, new ways of thought, new ways of understanding. I think life is not easy, life is very difficult, but if I was a creep, I never loved, I never lived, I never grow old, I am happy to be a simple and beautiful old lady that paint my pictures and loves my husband, my family, my daughters, my grandchildren, my friends, it is not easy but I try to live this life because it is my only life. The creep is a poor, unhappy boy and then man, that try to be loved, and to be considered for all his life, the creep is a very sad,alone man, the world is full of many creeps.
Love Paulo, but I think this topic is CREEPY!
Well and people can also change …. a creep is not always a creep all their life … and life is a mirror … if you see a creep in someone else … it´s yorself you see too !!!! I always try to see the person behind the mask …. beautiful or ugly … rich or poor …. we are all humans <3 munay <3
some morons though not the actual creeps also remains in the league of creeps just because they wasted their most precious time imitating or following them…
My primary school “creep” has just become a good friend (15 years later) – I know what happened then but she seems completely oblivious to the things she did…it is all relative – I can forgive her because she too had her battles to fight and when you are young it is very difficult to look outside of yourself.
well said clara
la fluencia es aquella virtud que tienen los que les gusta figurar a costa de todo y de todos pues he conocido mucha gente que lo practica mas yo no me dejo inmutar por ellos ni en maltrato menos soy muy tranquila pero si me buscan me encuentran tampoco permito que delante de mì te maltrate a nadie no me importa la parte que yo lleve igual aprendi a defenderme desde pequeña de esta clase de gente canalla pero existen y como dice la lectura mientras tienen fuerza figuran pero luego desfallecen y no lllegan lejos pues su misma arrogancia o creeersen superior a los demàs los catapulta al olvido
I found this blog interesting to read and perhaps I have different ideas about what a creep is. I never considered the beautiful confident people creepy at all. I admired them. They didn’t make me feel smaller for being who I was, they gave me a goal to aim for.
We should thank all the creeps in our life who helped us recognise our own infallibities and moved us along the path of enlightenment. I dont particularly like the term creep either. I associate that term with the boys who hung around the bus stops after school trying to accost girls or followed us home making lewd comments.
totally agree Ruth, all of life is about perspective and attitude
humm I thought the creep was the one like me,daydreaming in class,watching MTV instead of studying to pass the tests,wearing black and leather and being called the witch..oh if this completely opposite to me is called the creep,I’m the cool then.Cooooool :D
I read this and i connected to this song :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNc45FTenhg
yeah there is a creep in the neighborhood, the school, the workplace, church, social clubs, pretty much every where there is at least one we know of…good mirrors to see what we dont want to be and what we need to work on within ourselves…not someone who I prefer to rub elbows with, yet they do from time to time cross my path…and I learn compassion for the adult creep as he or she usually has an ego issue and low self-esteem…in our youth we had those in our world who appeared so together and cocky in their sucess, and we sometimes allowed this to color our view of ourselves and we focused more on the talents we lacked instead of the talents we did have…the joys and sorrows of youth…it is in some ways a joy to move beyond the years of youth and become an adult and see and feel with different more mature eyes…we look at ourselves and others with different standards than in our days of puberty…and hopefully we look at those who refuse to move beyond puberty in their thinking/living with compassion and acknowledge we all grow at our own speed. These particular folks…creeps…are in our world to teach us something or they would not be or have been there…did we learn the lesson they brought us?
we truly need to learn and grow up to be a well matured adult
true! but sometimes they get to our nerves.
all tru..
ur lines are just helping readers to rediscover their life..
thankue.. :)
I don’t mind meeting creepers. they are human beings with their fears and illusions. Now I decide myself wether to get in a situation or not. But there are numerous fake creepers with their outer tasks. As a rule you are not the tasks. You spend lots of your time ” expressing, feeling, proving,explaining “again and again… fake speaking, fake listening, fake feeling, fake living….They have their scripts and instructions and never can’t get out of them. they are really proud and happy of themselves.
Should i be eager to talk to robots?
Or be looking for living with mosquitoes, snakes, recorded radio in the same room? this life is an illusion as well. It’s a TV I can change a channel. If I can’t change channels or always have to work hard for a certain usually long period of time to do it that’s sad and boring. Where’s the Heaven on the Earth? It’s the Hell.
There’s only inner revolution, evolution, transformation. How can I help any kind of creepers? Let them go their own way.
But I know people liking doing it:)) Go ahead!
I have met a lot of creeps.They always made me feel so low about myself, they were so good at every thing and I wasn’t.But now I’m feeling better knowing that I’m also capable of doing many good works.So what if they were adored by all,I still have my time.Thanks a lot Paolo Coelho..
It’s not only the creep that ends up without future or success. The people he torments and abuses also suffer a kind of atrophy of talent and intelligence. Because of fears that did not have before, the human tormented by the creep becomes delayed socially and professionally in the future. The damned creep takes off of many people the best they have: their talents and joy of living.
right! because those damned creeps make the people they torment paralyzed emotionally, socially and intellectually. we live in a society where those creeps are spoiled and patronized.
Is it not so as humans, we all have the potential to be a ‘creep’, if and when it suits us. Normally to get what we want, or to be more popular etc.
Rather than recognising the bad traits of others, why not concentrate on only the good…..it is normally very beneficial to all and everyone can learn and develop from this.
Tolerance can be a great learning curve.
well said Tricia
Then I see myself as “Creep” but in good way.
It’s funny how some events happened just at the right time… I’m a girl and I’m at my adolscence and I’m definitley not a creep. I don’t attract guys (I keep myself away from heartbreak like a coward), I don’t get invited to every party or any type of hangouts, or else if I do, I refuse because of my other insecurities like “Will they like what I wear?” or “How will they treat me?”. I don’t hate the creeps, but I do want them to change there ways because I see they still feel empty. If they look deep inside themselves they realise they are not what they want to be, they are what “Others” want them to be. At one time, I started to grow like a creep, but something pused me away. I hated that something, and I still do. Sometimes I feel like a paradox… But this post lets me take a look at the brighter side and gives me hope.
Mr. Coelho I thank you so much for all your books and your blog. Right now I’m readng your book “The Zahir”. My Zahir is my dreams. They are always on my mind. The fantasies I want to go through and things I want to accomplish. I want to be a wanderlust, just like all the charachters in your books. I want to discover the meaning of life (which is impossible but I’m sure expecting an adventure C:). Thank you for making me a better person than I was. We are all together on spritual journey to learn and be the better.
”Difficulty” is the name of an ancient tool created to define who we are.
Thanks Paulo :)
Life experiences change The Creep, humbles him, shows him that the world doesn’t revolve around him and that in order to receive he must give all of himself through service. If he plays it right, he will learn to take only the best traits from adolescence and apply them generously in his adult life. This only happens if he realizes that the key to success is in helping others achieve their dreams, and by doing things that have true relevance in the world.
Alexandra,l agree with you there:)
l have had to fight most of my life,and l am not a boring person,l am a happy living women.:)
SE BUSCA LIDERES!!! El mundo ahorita mismo necesita de líderes que asuman un papel preponderante frente a la juventud que se est;a levantando en todas partes porque no ve que los mayores tengan ningún interés en dejarles un mundo mejor.
Mantener la condiciones y el arrastre de un lider desde la adolescencia a la madurez es imposible, lo que se necesita ahora es un líder ALEPH… me entienden?
Thank you PC for an amazing story :)))
Besides one thing I feel and want to say is tht the most evident sign of being a creep is saying that I am not a creep !!
And Paulo, I do believe that at a certain point in your life, so where you.
Well I’m a creep too.
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