12 of the best "humans of new york" posts - the nectar collective

8/18/2019 12 of the Best "Humans of New York" Posts - The Nectar Collective

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IMPROVE YOUR LIFE, YOUR BLOG, AND YOUR BUSINESS.

WE’LL SHOW YOU HOW.

12 of the Best “Humans of New York” Posts

b y m e ly s s a g r i f fi n 6 9 c o mm e n t s

A few months ago, I discovered Humans of New York (HONY), an Instagram account and blog that

features one-question interviews of New York’s unique inhabitants. HONY is the brainchild of NYC

photographer and blogger, Brandon Stanton. After perusing through his quick portrait and interview

snippets, I was stunned by each person’s story and the human experience Brandon is able to

create. And with over four million fans and a #1 best-selling book, I’m not the only one who thinks

so! Since HONY has moved and affected my life, I wanted to share a few of my favorite posts with

you today, in hopes that you can find the beauty and honesty in them, too. I also recommend

following HONY on Instagram — it’s without a doubt the most meaningful account I follow. Have a

beautiful day, friends!

1.

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“People waste way too much energy taking things personally. That Facebook post is probably not

about you. It was probably an accident that you weren’t tagged in that picture. And the person

you’re dating is probably acting sad because that’s how they respond to setbacks at work, not

because of anything you did.”

2.


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“I had a child when I was sixteen. I got kicked out of high school because of all the absences. My

family and community pretty much wrote me off. But right away I got a job at a sporting goods

store. Soon I was able to get a job as a receptionist at a tax company, and they gave me enough

responsibilities that I learned how to do taxes. Eventually I learned enough to become an

associate. Then I got offered a job at a smaller company, and even though it was a pay cut, theyoffered me responsibility over all the books — accounts payable, accounts receivable, everything.

It was less money but I wanted that experience so I took the risk. And I’m so glad I did, because

six months later, the controller of that company left and I was given that position. They told me they

couldn’t officially call me the controller because I didn’t have a college degree. So I finished my

degree 5 months ago — just to make it official! So after having a child at sixteen, I made it all the

way to controller of a company, without even having a college degree. Can you believe that?

Honestly, I’ve been waiting to tell that story so long that I told it to a customer service


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representative on the phone last week. She was nice about it and pretended to care.”

3.

“What’s your favorite thing about your mother?” “She loves life more than anyone I’ve ever known.

I hope she doesn’t mind me telling you this, but recently she’s had some health problems. And her

health got so bad at one point, she called me and said: ‘I was starting to wonder if there was any

reason to go on. But then I had the most delicious pear!'”

4.


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“When I told my mom that I was going to rehab, she was about to catch a flight to her 40th High

School Reunion. I told her: ‘I guess you won’t be bragging about me to your friends.’ She said:

‘Actually, I’ve never been prouder of you.'”

5.


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“I’m glad I had a daughter. Ever since my grandmother died, I’ve needed the female energy in my

life. It’s good energy. I mean, when things go wrong, another man can tell you that everything is

going to be OK. But not like a woman can.”

6.


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“Do you remember the happiest moment of your life?” “This one time I was in Hawaii with my

family, and we were walking to the beach, and we came to the top of this giant hill. And I said, ‘I’m

going to take it.’ And I put my skateboard down, and started rolling down the hill, and I got going so

fast that the board started to shake because the trucks were loose, and toward the bottom of the

hill I came to this crack, and the board got caught and I was thrown onto the pavement. I got all

bruised and scraped and my mom was screaming because she’s a total freakout.” “That was the

happiest moment of your life?” “Yeah, I was just glad I took the hill.”

7.


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“When I started, these rocks were bathed in light. Now they’re just shadowy masses. So I have to

decide how I want to remember them.”

8.


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“At the end of my senior year, I took some advanced level entry exams from Cambridge University.

They are very difficult and very important. When the exam scores came in, my friend called me

and told me that the principal was looking for me. My father was sitting next to me. He saw my face

and asked me what was wrong. ‘I think I did very poorly,’ I told him. ‘Because the principal is

looking for me.’ He told me that he would come to her office with me to support me. When we gotthere, there was a huge line of students waiting to get their scores, but the principal called me in.

She told me I was one of three students in the school to get all A’s. My father was so nervous

when I came out, and when I told him, he hugged me so hard that I could tell he was trying not to

cry. He was so happy, he took all the money out of his wallet, handed it to the security guard, and

told him to pass it out to everyone in line. It was the happiest moment of my life.”

9.


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“In my heart of hearts, I wanted to do the right thing, but selling drugs was easy. Everyone was

doing it. I mean, I’m not using that as an excuse, I made my own decisions. But I grew up around

these Robin Hood figures who would sell drugs, then buy supplies for kids who were going back to

school, or pay rent for an old woman who was about to get evicted. All my friends were doing it. It

almost seemed fashionable. I never felt proud of it. I always thought I’d transition to a job with theTransit Authority, or a job like this– something I’d feel good about, but instead I transitioned to jail. I

did six years. When I got out, it was tempting to go back to the easy money, because everyone

around me was still doing it, and I couldn’t get a job. But luckily I found an agency that helps ex-

cons, because there aren’t many companies looking to give people a second chance. I’ve had this

job for a few years now. You know what product I’m selling now? Myself. Everyone around here is

my client. Times Square is a drug to these people. And I’m picking up all the trash so that they can

have the full Times Square experience.”


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10.

“I was an English teacher. The demands of the system required that I give out grades, but I never

felt good about it. How do you grade someone’s writing? Writing is about revision. It’s about access

to self. If a student writes a poem, and it’s the best they can do at the moment, how are you

supposed to compare that to the student sitting next to them? How are you supposed to give one a

90, and one an 85?”

11.


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“Right after I lost vision in my eye, I was so bad at walking that I ran into a girl eating ice cream,

and knocked her cone out of her hand. She screamed: ‘Are you blind!?!?’ I turned to her and said:

‘I am blind actually, I’m so sorry, I’ll buy you a new cone.’ And she said: ‘Oh my God! I’m so sorry!

Don’t worry! It’s no problem at all! I’ll buy another one.’ So we walked into the ice cream store

together, and the clerk said: ‘I heard the whole thing. Ice cream is free.'”

12.


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“What’s your greatest struggle right now?” “No struggles.”

CHECK OUT THE HONY INSTAGRAM AND LET ME

KNOW YOUR FAVORITES, TOO!

p.s. You might like this…15 Ways to Be a Good Human Today

All photos and interviews via Humans of New York // Brandon Stanton

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• •

Kiersten McMonagle •

I saw this project for the first time on Facebook, and I absolutely love it! I really like some of the

ones you share here! It's such an inspiring project

• •

Melyssa Griffin • Mod

I love following them on FB! Such a nice way to break up my newsfeed. :)

• •

Amy @ So There by Amy •

Just recently discovered this on Facebook! In Love.

• •


I know right? I love it, too! :)

• •

Chrystina Noel •

What an awesome post. I hadn't read some of these before. The one about the delicious pear is

incredible.

• •


I know, right? I really love that one. :)

• •

Elena aka. Midsommarflicka •

HONY is so awesome! Ever since I discovered it I love it deeply.

Sometimes there are statements that make me laugh and sometimes I read one and sit there foa few minuted just thinking and sometimes I have to cry … but either way it's one of these

awesome little breaks during the day where I stop!

• •


I totally get what you mean! I do the exact same thing. :)

•


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• •

oh my god, I'm crying at Starbucks, shut upppp.

• •


Exactly how I feel when I read these! haha

• •

Katrina Sophia •

love HONY so much, I follow it in every social channel! some made my weep. but mostly makin

me smile.

thanks for sharing, your top 12 is awesome!

Katrina Sophia

• •


I am totally with you! And I follow them everywhere, too. :) I just love it!

• •

Sarah •

I love reading these. They make me so happy.

• •


Me too :)

• •

TheSubtleHipster •

I love HONY. I didn't know there was an instagram! I've been really inspired by HONY. This is

something I want to do - be able to incorporate photographs and people's stories into my future

profession. There is one for Boston too. http://portraitsofboston.com/

I would love to do this. Kind of gives me an idea...

• •


I love that it gives you an idea! I'd never seen the Boston one before, but I'm all over it! :)

Allison Keltner •

I loooove these! I always get a little thrill when a HONY post pops up on my Facebook feed. I'm

so impressed with Brandon, not just for the photography, but the way he manages to get peopl

to share their stories like that -- I get really uncomfortable talking to random people so I'm in aw

of those who do that so well. Thanks for sharin these!


17/25

• •

• •


I totally know that feeling you get! I love when he posts a new one -- I could read them a

day! And I totally agree. He seems to have a special gift for making people feel

comfortable. I'm so glad he's channeled that gift into this project.

• •

Marilyn •

I love HONY! I got the book for Christmas too. There was one the other day that I just stared at

for a while because the image was just so powerful. It was a man from Liberia talking about not

having a home anymore after their civil war, just heart breaking.

• •


Ohh I need to get that book!! And I totally know that feeling. Sometimes I have to stop

and think for a minute after reading them. Such beautiful and heartbreaking stories.

• •

Stephanie Martel •

What a great idea for a blog post, Melyssa! I love HONY--I'm secretly obsessed with his posts o

Instagram, it gives me a little boost everyday.

• •


Thanks Stephanie! I'm obsessed too. :)

• •

Kolbi Gray •

AHH! I'm in love with HONY! So glad you are digging it!

• •


Yay you too!! :)

• •

Mika P. •

Oh my God! Thanks for posting this- it's incredibly moving. (': I've seen HONY around, but neve

really read it, but this is beautiful. I'm thinking about posting some of my favorites on my blog

soon as well!


Do it! HONY is m favorite thing these da s!


18/25

• •

• •

Allie @ Between Dreams •

I LOVE this. I can definitely see myself falling down the rabbit hole, reading story after story - so

captivating.

• •

Melyssa Griffin

•

Mod

I've definitely been there! I love scrolling through his Instagram feed. Such beautiful

stories!

• •

Carly •

#1, #10, and #12.

Humans of New York is such an amazing project and I will never get tired of peeking into

peoples' life stories.

• •


Amen to that!

• •

Pernickety Pitstop •

Following now! Thanks for sharing this, I'd never heard of HONY but have fallen deeply in love -

Like eating the most delicious pear. Love that! x

• •


I love that one about the pear! LOVE! And I'm glad you discovered HONY here -- it's rea

my favorite thing. :)

• •

Susanne V. •

Amazing, I always love seeing the posts on facebook. I didn't know there was an instagram

account aswell.

• •


Yeah! He posts the same photos, but I love reading the most "liked" comments on

Facebook, too!

Kristin | Eat. Fly. Love. •

I love HONY - I actually discovered Brandon's work while working up a case study on the DKYN


19/25

• •

gaffe, and became totally addicted. He does such an amazing job of capturing the little

meaningful moments in visual and written story. I mean, there are no words for it. It's magic.

• •


I completely agree! Magic sounds like a good word to describe it. :)

• •

Divya •

I recently started following HONY and have been follwoing each of the stories! its the best thing

in the day! :-)

• •


I completely agree! :)

• •

Monique Muro •

Yeah I can't stop reading those and simultaneously tearing up over everything. Learning about

other humans is so comforting. Makes me feel less alone. Thank you so much for introducing m

to this... xo

• •


I know the feeling exactly, Monique! :)

• •

Johanna •

I follow the original Tumblr (have been for a year or so), and for some reason, it's even more

meaningful because it's there? Like, Tumblr is so random and full of fandoms and pretty photos

having HONY break it up with so much realness always seems to hit me even harder.

Great feature!

• •


I think I feel the same way about seeing it on Instagram, sandwiched between pictures o

food. :)

• •

Kenzie @ CME •

What inspiring people! I will definitely be following that Instagram account.



20/25

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Do it! It's my favorite one :)

• •

Kenzie @ CME •

I can easily see why!

• •

Ursula•

This is so touching. Can't wait to look up the instagram account

• •


I know you'll love it! It's addicting. :)

• •

Kayla Hollatz •

Thank you so much for highlighting HONY! I know we've talked about our love for this series onTwitter before so it's so great to see it on your blog. They are all so incredible. It's a great

reminder that we all have a story to tell.

• •


Yes!! I think after our Twitter conversation I realized I'm not the only person addicted to

this thing, so I decided to share it. I agree, they are so incredible! :)

• •

Camila @ AdventitiousViolet •

wow, they are heartbreaking and yet full of hope and love!


21/25

Ava — Thanks for

clarifying! I just signed up for Perez's newsletter!

Love it!

Ava — Hi Roula! Thank you SO muc

for commenting. I'm excited that you're buildin

your list! I will definitely keep in mind the …

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12 of the best "humans of new york" posts - the nectar collective

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