Everyone on earth is different, an individual, unique. Some people are determined to express this; others are content in being themselves without having to prove it. At what point in life does one decide that conscious expression of the self is no longer needed, and that they are happy to be one of the crowd?
Does the fact that everyone on earth is a unique individual end up negating the uniqueness of individuality?
At what point in life does one decide that conscious expression of the self is no longer needed, and that they are happy to be one of the crowd?
ReplyDeleteWhen being "different" means one is less likely to survive. If one can handle the pressure, one continues to be different, if not, one gives in, to baa with the rest.
Being different doesn't always mean being right though. Thieves and murderers are a minority in society, and we want it to remain that way. Context is important.
I agree with iMuslim, context is the issue. Sometimes it is best to be part of a larger group and sometimes it is better to be outside of the crowd.
ReplyDeleteI would say it is best to form your own opinion and not be guided by a crowd or be cowed into a false position when your beliefs differ from everyone else.
Our uniqueness is physical, not social. We are social animals, and most try to fit into a group or culture. At some point of maturity, an individual viewpoint emerges for some, a certainty of what is right and wrong for oneself.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I should've mentioned that when I wrote this, I was thinking about adolescence and adulthood, how (some) teens have a tendency to go out of their way to be different... yet adults (or at least, the ones I know) seem to be happy just being themselves without feeling the need to *show* how they're different.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I feel in between those two stages... sometimes I consciously do things to show my differences, yet at other times I'm just happy being *me* without expressing it in anything other than words.
Of course, the good people at despair.com capture your thoughts so concisely:
ReplyDeleteAlways remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else.