Depending on how you viewed being different, it could lead to problems later. I used to be a bully target, but on top of that I knew at a relatively young age (11 maybe) that I was different. I made darn sure the other guys didn't know how I felt. That really impacted my emotional growth. Even today I'll go to reply to a "hey, guess what I did" thread and back out of it because I'm uncomfortable saying what pops into my head. That's all because I didn't used to let myself be in those types of situations.
As I got older and realized it went beyond feeling "softer", I actually stopped being myself in social situations and became other people. I still have that today, although it's gotten much better in the last few months. When I was around somebody long enough who had a strong personality and who I admired, their behavior became my behavior. To this day I say things that aren't really mine but vestiges of someone else's personality. When I saw the same thing happening even with online forums I got very scared and knew I had to see someone. As much as I like the people here I prefer to me rather than them.
Now, if I had seen being different as a good thing I probably wouldn't have had all those problems. But it had a strong negative impact on my sense of self. It's partly responsible for my self-esteem issues. I'm realizing as I write this that all of this may be why I don't see anybody inside me but I can see different energies. I don't really have a self image. I have yet to form one from who I know myself to be.
So yes, knowing you're different without understanding that difference or being able to value it can lead to problems.