Sharing my monologue script
What is it about numbers? Why do some people care about them so much? Why are some of us judged or treated unfairly because of them? Numbers are in every part of our lives. They tell our age, our grades, our weight, and the value of the things we own. But numbers are supposed to be just that—numbers. No deeper meaning, no hidden implications. Yet now, numbers have become more than what they are. They’ve become sources of judgment. They shape how the world sees us.
I’m 19, and for others, it seems to mean something more than just my age. Some say, “You’re 19, you should know better by now.” Others say, “You’re still so young, you wouldn’t understand.” What’s that supposed to mean? Am I supposed to have everything figured out because I’m legally an adult? Or am I expected to remain clueless because I’m still technically a teenager?
And it’s not just me, it happens to everyone. A 12-year-old’s thoughts get dismissed with, “You’re just a kid.” An 18-year-old is expected to grow up overnight because “You’re an adult now.” A 31-year-old is pressured to marry and have children because they’re “past the calendar.”
But isn’t it unfair? Age is just a number, telling us how long we’ve lived. It doesn’t define who we are, who we should be, or what we should do. It doesn’t reflect our wisdom or maturity. I could be 10 and responsible. I could be 30 and still love watching Barbie. I could be 60 and still make impulsive decisions, or be as strong as a cow. We shouldn’t be limited by society’s expectations of our age. Being young doesn’t equal ignorance or naivety. Being old doesn’t equal the end of growth or weakness. We are not our age.
But it’s not just age. Grades are another way numbers are used to label and judge us. Some students are praised as smart and promising for having good grades, while others are labeled lazy or not trying hard enough for struggling academically. But isn’t that unfair? Grades don’t tell the whole story. They don’t show the late nights spent rereading the same lessons, the tears of frustration when we struggled to understand, or the courage it took to ask questions when everything seemed easy for others.
We are not our grades. They don’t define what we’ve learned, the effort we’ve put in, or our growth. They don’t measure our creativity or resilience. And they certainly don’t determine our worth, intelligence, or future. A number on a piece of paper doesn’t reflect who we truly are or what we’re capable of achieving.
Aside from grades, we are also judged on our weight and material possessions—numbers on a scale and price tags. If you’re too skinny, people tell you to eat more. If you’re overweight, you hear whispers or rude comments. We’re made to feel imperfect and pressured to fit into certain beauty standards. And it’s unfair. Weight is just a number. It shouldn’t measure our beauty, it shouldn’t limit our confidence, and it shouldn’t determine our self-worth.
And then there are price tags. Wear expensive clothes and people respect you. Wear something cheap and you’re suddenly less worthy of attention. And that’s wrong. The value of what we own says nothing about the value of who we are. Respect shouldn’t come with a price tag.
Age, grades, weight, and the value of the things we own – they’re all represented by numbers. But those numbers do not represent us. We are more than our age, our grades, our weight, or the price tags on our possessions. Numbers might quantify some parts of our lives, but they will never define who we are. We are our smiles, our dreams, and our strength. We are people with stories that no number can ever explain.
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