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We’ve all heard the cliche, overgeneralized statement that there are two types of people in the world. You might have heard it applied to the categorization of introverts and extroverts, realists and idealists or any other two contrasting labels. Regardless of its application, this statement presents a unique yet possibly contentious perspective solely based on one characteristic.
I don’t bring this up to spark a deeper, possibly more philosophical discussion about the divisions in identities that exist within our current world. Instead, I bring this to your attention with the hope of introducing yet another way to view the two types of people that exist. In my opinion, there are two types of people in the world — floor people and chair people. I’m a floor person — specifically a floor girl — and I feel very passionately about this.
I’m guessing you’re either feeling confused or laughing at the previous sentence. Let me take a minute to pause and share what inspired this idea of mine. Maybe then it’ll make sense.
On an average day, you can find me sprawled across the carpeted floor rather than utilizing the desk chair or the reading sofa in my room. Despite having perfectly suitable places to sit, I still tend to gravitate toward the floor. This is actually a habit I carry even outside of my home. In fact, I still distinctly remember sitting on the floor underneath a cubicle of the Brown Science & Engineering Library during my first year and seeing many astonished faces at my actions. While that describes my floor tendencies in college, I’ve had this habit for most of my life.
Thus, my preference for sitting on the floor has become quite a distinguishing characteristic of mine. I am not sure where or when the exact term came into play, but what I do know is that it seemed to stick for good once I used the words “floor girl” in reference to myself. Fast forward to the present, and here I am writing to you about it.
I take great pride in my self-proclaimed title as a floor girl. In fact, I have even made a Spotify playlist dedicated to the vibes I feel exude from floor-sitting. I realize how silly this may sound, and I want to embrace that. This is most definitely your atypical personality descriptor. Yet, I find myself utilizing this term that encompasses a larger part of my personality quite often.
For me, a floor person embodies more than just the simple preference of sitting on the floor rather than chairs or the sort. A floor person can be the type of person who is more introverted than extroverted but can be outgoing when needed. Floor people are usually simple and appreciate the little things in life. They exude a calming and cozy aesthetic. They are also grounded and tend to keep a cool mind more times than not.
At times, others may find a floor person to be a bit out of the ordinary. It is easy for others to judge the unconventional and possibly odd ways or thoughts of floor people. This is more of a quirk than it is anything else, yet people will try to see it otherwise.
Now, I am not saying I am the prime example of the person I have described above. While I find myself more introverted and grateful for the simple little things in life, I am far from grounded or cool-minded. To be one type of person does not mean you must embody every trait or descriptor of it. Instead, a character trait means that you are more similar to one type of a person than another. Furthermore, the person above is an individual I have personally concocted, not one that has any real evidence behind it.
With that being said, the definition of being a floor girl is deeper than the simple definitions I have attributed to the term thus far. For me, it represents my ability to take naps of any length in any given location. It is reminiscent of childhood memories playing with my sister, now thousands of miles away. It sings the same tunes of tranquility as my record player. It holds the same energy as watching the stars twinkle above at night. As a floor girl, the floor almost signifies a home I can come back to when all else is too loud or simply too much. So when I sit down on my floor, hoping to find some peace as I start reading a new book or lay down after a long few hours of clinical, that’s what I think of.
I hope that this idea of being a floor girl seems a little less silly than it might have initially. While this isn’t your typical descriptor, maybe it will become one for you as it did for me. As I write this, I find myself surprised by how such a small habit can become so defining. For example, I’m sure my five- or six-year-old self thought nothing of sitting on the floor, and now it’s something I’m sharing with the rest of the world.
If you’re a floor person like myself, maybe you found some solace in knowing that you are not alone in your floor preference. For all the chair people, I regret to inform you that I have little to offer aside from an invitation to join me on the floor for once. Whether you’re a floor or a chair person, I hope you know that is just one of the many ways you are viewed, and it means as little or as much as you want it to.
Zoya Zahid is a Life Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at life@cavalierdaily.com.
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