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    1. Life

    Does being unpopular make you more successful in life?

    Does the underdog always win?

    Delphine Chui's avatar
    By Delphine Chui
    Published 27 January 2017 In Features

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    Does the underdog always win?

    Ed Sheeran reckons that him and Taylor Swift's success is down to the fact that the pair were unpopular at school. See, every cloud...

    'There's an underdog element to it,' Ed Sheeran told GQ. 'Taylor was never the popular kid in school. I was never the popular kid in school. Then you get to the point when you become the most popular kid in school – and we both take it a bit too far. She wants to be the biggest female artist in the world and I want to be the biggest male artist in the world.'

    'It also comes from always being told that you can't do something and being like, 'F*** you. I can.'

    And Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift weren't the only familiar names who have said they were bullied or unpopular at one point in their lives.

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    Jessica Alba has admitted to eating lunch on her own at school and Zac Efron revealed that he was bullied when he was younger, too. Oh, and Mrs. Ryan Gosling AKA Eva Mendes was apparently 'a gawky, skinny girl with big teeth' who was 'tortured all the way through junior high.'

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    Christina Hendricks also told the Mirror that she went to a 'very mean school' and that she wishes she would tell her 14-year-old self, ' Don't worry, you're going to be doing exactly what you want to be doing and those people who are a******* are still going to be a******* in 20 years. So let it go.'

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    (Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

    Winona Ryder told the Huffington Post that she was a victim of an attack, that required stitches, by bullies when she was younger. She recalled when that same bully asked for her autograph in later life. Winona asked if they remembered the incident in 7th grade, and when they replied, 'kind of,' she hit back with 'That was me. Go F*** Yourself.' (Go Winona!)

    So, it seems that unpopularity in childhood really can lead to better adjusted adulthood if people use those experiences as a motivational driving force later in life.

    Hear, hear, Ed!

    Delphine Chui
    Delphine Chui
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