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When I’m out with my twins, people frequently ask, “Are they twins?” – a natural question. Yet, the query that often follows – “Is he the shy one?” – is frustrating. This question, usually delivered with some judgment, suggests that one twin is inherently less engaging than the other.
This assumption is arbitrary, based on a brief interaction with a stranger. I usually respond with, “They are everything all the time.” I have moments of shyness, but it doesn’t define me entirely. Everyone deserves the freedom to be their whole self, without being reduced to a single characteristic or judged by fleeting impressions.
– Kate Mendoza, Editor, The 100 Companies