Square Peg in a Round Hole Meaning

Last Updated on July 25, 2021 by Avia

Ever wondered about the phrase, “A square peg in a round hole” meaning? I guess we all inherently know what it means, but have we had to live it? Have we experienced it? Little things like this get my mind rolling. So much so, I Googled the square peg in a round hole meaning. Wikipedia says it’s an “Expression which describes an unusual individualist who does not fit into society.” Wow. How very succinct and kinda brutally honest. My assumption about the phrase was more like a quirky person who others couldn’t totally relate to or accept due to their funky perspectives. I guess both Wiki and I have the same point, just said in different ways.

I realize I’m rambling a bit here, but all this got me thinking. You see, once upon a time, I worked in accounting. Can you imagine? Crunching numbers all day (which, by the way, I’m totally dyslexic with numbers…not the best career choice, oy vey). I had a conservative family with prim, proper, law-abiding folks who expected the same from me. I never broke any laws (well, not any that count, lol). I kept to the traditional grindstone at my accounting job. I did wifely duties (when I was married), respected my elders (still do), I kept my nose clean and essentially hid myself under the radar.

Out of Place, but Learning It’s Okay

As a result, I always felt out of place. You see, I knew I was odd and from that knowing, I tried really, really hard to avoid self-fulfilling that square peg in a round hole meaning and prophecy.

These days, I’ve learned to embrace my unique perspectives as assets. I’ve made peace that I’m a bit unconventional, and I welcome the valuable ‘soul gifts’ proffered from a multitude of technicolored resources that come my way.

Nonetheless, there was a time when my unorthodox brand of wisdom seemed like a deficit. And when I started to buck ‘the system,’ I was branded as an outcast. I was disavowed. In other words…I was not treated very nicely for my uncommon views.

Of course, it didn’t help that I had a slight stutter, I was fantastically obese, had a wickedly obscene-looking skin condition and always huffing on an asthma inhaler. But hey..what doesn’t get us stoned in public makes us stronger right?

All this to say, in the past, I remember feeling like my data banks of knowledge were unusable or invalid to the conventional world (filled with accountants, and pragmatics). I felt totally insignificant and my wisdom was irrelevant or useless. My appearance and funky health oddities were bad enough, but my quirky perspectives were totally perceived as unnatural or ‘not-normal’…all this lead to feelings of ‘less than’ and frankly, feeling invalid and unloved. It wasn’t very pretty.

Nevertheless, I plugged on and trudged through life. I worked with some brilliant, analytical minds, but also chose to follow wisdom from Native American leaders, and spiritually powerful elders. I hobnobbed with professionals who had a wealth of applicable knowledge in accounting, business acumen, engineering, politics, industry, technology, finance, etc. All the stuff that seemed to ‘matter’ more (than my psychic-medium-tarot-spirit-guide-animal-totem-intuition stuff). But I also kept honing my internal power, wisdom and followed non-local (ethereal, spiritual) guidance.

Yet, my innate understanding – the Soul Knowing that came so naturally – never fit, and never seemed applicable. Honestly, how does a shamanic understanding of Eagle medicine fit in with Monday morning management meetings? Not-so-much.

I remember feeling so frustrated, and thinking: “Why isn’t my perspective just as valid as a lawyers’? Or an accountant? Or my own family!?”

Being Authentic (even if it’s weird)

Guess what!?!? It is (and was) just as valid!! I know that now. But that realization was slow to come.

I finally copped a clue, and went ‘Bohemian’ (as I like to call it). I moved out of the business world and out of the Beaver Cleaver-Stepford wife scene. It was painful. There were doubts….nail-biting ensued…then the rendering of garments, and of course the gnashing of teeth…all that drama, OY!

But it was totally worth it.

Over time, it was clear my square peg in a round hole meaning (for me) had to be annihilated. I had to recognize my mentality would never play nicely with ’round hole’ logic. I had to forge my own path by extending beyond the circles of conventional wisdom and into my own spiralesque thought-forms.

The rest remains history, as I consistently make choices to assert my unique voice and perspectives on my own terms. This website is a huge example of accepting uncommon knowledge over (what I once thought was) more useable, cerebral knowledge.

Side note, as time moves forward, I’m finding unconventional thought is becoming vitally crucial in the evolution of humankind. It’s like a surreal table-turning, and it is very, very cool to observe.

Quirky is Okay. Your Wisdom Matters.

So, the next time you feel like the square peg in a round hole, try moving off the board completely. It’s a vastly big world, and with 7+ billion people, you’re bound to connect with a group of like minds (conventional or otherwise).

Better yet…be the odd duck in the conventional pond. Embrace your uniqueness and strike a balance between common experience and extraordinary viewpoint. Demand a little bit of rocking the boat.

Be beautifully square (Huey Luis thinks it’s hip, lol) in a round hole world. Some folks around you may need to be put off-kilter…maybe you’re the one to shake those sweet peeps into radical ways of thinking!

In retrospect, I would have been spared a lot of frustration had I learned to straddle both worlds by modifying mental fittings for square pegs and round holes. It can be done. I didn’t know it then, but I see where I could have done better. I still see how I can do better now.

Whether you choose to migrate into the realms of odd duckery or learn to adapt your uniqueness within the arena of orthodoxy…be sure you honor yourself in the process. Never discount your special stance. Never question how essential you are to this world.

Last Word About Square Peg in a Round Hole Meaning

No matter what kind of knowledge you have, to be sure – it is vital. It is valuable. Why? Because your views are an expression of your matchless soul and superior brilliance. For those of you suffering under the thumb of conventional concrete, I hope this helps a little.

In closing, thank you for indulging me this time as I yammer about the whole square peg in a round hole meaning thing. It’s rare when I share personal details…and I did this here hoping it might strike a chord in you, and remind you that unique perception is an asset.

Be fearlessly you, ‘cuz you got this, and you’re effing brilliant. As always, thanks for reading!

Mighty brightly,