The real sting here isn't the cheerleading for individuality—it's the diagnosis of *why* we remain ordinary. Angelou isn't merely celebrating weirdness; she's suggesting that the pursuit of normalcy is itself an active project, a constant expenditure of energy that drains us from our actual capacities. A musician who spends rehearsal worrying about whether her playing sounds "acceptable" rather than exploring what only *she* can make with an instrument will never discover her voice. The quote matters because it reframes conformity not as neutral safety but as an exhausting choice with a real cost.