Hi, i was just curious on how people cope with the dirty looks, or if you get dirty looks or people discriminating against you, people calling you names. In my opinion i've never been the one to care, but i've been called snakehead medusa bob marely sean paul and got dirty looks given to me from lets say the "Pretty group of girls" in school, How does everyone else reply to these comments ? 
There are dozens of posts here asking the same question, so you're not alone. I live in the city, and All I get around my area is some people calling me Bob Marley. It's not so bad. In Ireland, I had one women look me up and down with disgust, but didn't say anything.
I just smile at them and say hi. If they look away, I just go about my business. They don't effect me.
What I do get often, is people asking me where the drugs are at. To them I just say "Do I look like a pot head?" Then smile and laugh. This usually breaks the ice. They end up laughing too and if we have anything in common, it becomes a conversation. If not, they say thanks, and go their own way.
The only people I get negativity from is my family. My mom always wants me to cut my hair and says she'll pay for me to go to a salon and have them "done" neatly. I laugh, and tell her how damaging that is. My wife sticks up for me because she used to have locks too.
I always tell people in your situation to be very basic when explaining locks. Don't go into detail unless the person you are talking to asks deeper questions. Just tell them that you do wash your hair, and explain how you are growing them. Don't,necessarily, demand that locks happen naturally. Some people are not ready to hear that, and will get defensive. Once they wall themselves up, they will not hear anything you have to say, So be as general as possible and wait for them to ask the questions
laugh
those "pretty group of girls" are so shallow and miserable most probly have eating disorders and are suicides waiting to happen.. what you dont understand about them is they are extremely insecure and competative and all they have to compete with is their looks if a hairs out of place and they dont notice they get teased if they di notice they spend 3 hours trt=ying to fix it
they are in a constant struggle to be the prettiest girl and 1/2 will drop to their knees and unzip the pants of the entire football team just to get a "yoir so prettymn validation
you challenge them your pretty without caring if your pretty
you dont have to degrade yiursef for attentiin
you dont have to fit into a cookie cutter moldto be cool
so just lai=ugh..or feel sorry for them.its yoir choice
but also walk away head held high with confidence and joy and a thankfullnes that you will never be like them
pathetic
Ignore the pretty girls. After you graduate they become completely irrelevant unless they were also the smart girls. And the beauty they rely on to feel better than others is going to fade fast unless they prop it up with surgery.
You have to change the way you think about the things people say. Insults from people who don't understand dreads are the same as compliments from those who do understand them as far as I'm concerned. If they're giving me funny looks about my hair that means I'm on the right track.
A drunk guy on a bike told me that I looked like I should be swinging from the trees with Tarzan. My friend was a bit offended on my behalf but I just laughed and said thank you. Really, that's the look I'm going for if you think about it.
If someone tries to use Bob Marley as an insult you should laugh at their sad attempts to hurt you. Bob Marley had fantastic hair and made some great music. How can it possibly be bad to be compared to him in that way? If they call you Medusa thank them for the halloween costume suggestions.
Another thing to keep in mind is that going out of your way to comment on someones appearance in a negative manner is immature. They are going out of their way to hurt you. Why even care about the opinions of people like that?
Don't let them drag you down to their level. They are just looking for reasons to validate to themselves why they are what they believe they are. After you graduate high school it really doesn't matter anymore.
I've heard that people will try to use the insults that mirror their own insecurities on others. These girls are so worried about being exactly like all the rest of the uninteresting clones who don't know how to break out of the cycle and gain the courage to express their own individuality.
The best thing to do is to not acknowledge their attempt to bring you down to their level. The less energy you use buying into their negativity...the less they will have to feed on from you and will eventually move on to the next person they are trying to make into their victim.
I'm with Baba. I just don't pay attention to it. A girl at work said " Wow you've really let your hair get crazy." Me "Yeah, I love it!" Although people don't seem to have a problem with generally. My teacher commented on it, but only the color. It kinda took me by surprise. Teacher:"Did you do that with your hair on purpose?" Me:"....." Teacher:"It's kinda pink. Did you dye it that color?" Me:" Uh, no. It was red, but I guess it faded lol." I try to just be nonchalant about my hair. If you respond with negativity, all you'll get is negativity.
Always be the bigger person in life. Others who make remarks make them for the sole purpose of making their self feel superior. They are actually insecure about their own being and take it out on others. Shuck it off and know that you are beautiful inside and out. You are not a rotten souled person like they are. Peace
dont forget for alotta people 'dirty pot smoking couch surfing hippies" (hippies are spelled with an ie not y its highly inteligent people persuing individual enlightenment) are many peoples favorite kind of people
even many of those 70 year olds who were just about yoiur age at the time of woodstock and the summer of lovge and they feel most confortable around your kind
Lori Jenks said:
I work front desk at a hotel and its a requirement that I ask the guestfor a credit card at check-in. It's surprising how many people (mostly older ladies 60s and 70s) will hesitate handing me their cardand look at my hair with sort of a distrustful/disgusted look on their face.
I just keep smiling and act as professional as I possibly can.Usually I can manage to win them over bytalking with them. I just think they have some preconceived notions of what people with dreadlocks are like and we just have to break that little barrier they putup.If you can't convince them that you aren't a "dirty pot-smoking, couch-surfing hippy" then forget about them. There's so many open-mindedpeople out there who loveothers for their uniqueness and they are the kind of people you want to surround yourself with anyway.
Anyways in the endI've made my decisions and istand by them because they make me me and no amount of their judging is going to change they way that I am.
