We wrote letters to each other as a manner of saying goodbye at the end of Junior College. Quite surprisingly, almost everyone I received a letter from wrote that they admired me because I was 'genuine', 'out-of-the-ordinary' and 'not fake'. This raised many questions in my mind. What did they all mean by the same thing? Do I actually have a persona that can be admired? For you see, I was under the impression I was pretty boring to the outside world, because I hardly take much interest in social interaction and activity. In fact, I'm happiest when I'm by myself.
That brought me to the content of their appraisals. One friend said I stick to being myself, no matter what other people think, say or do. It's true: I've never really seen the point of changing for the world, because then you'd just spend more time behaving in a way that is not natural to you. This not only puts a barrier in your journey towards self-actualisation, but it also takes away the joy - the interest - you have in living. This attitude would, of course, make me 'out-of-the-ordinary', since according to my observations, not many people think like this, and neither do they want to. Being in their own closet space brings them security, and listening to the opposition of the world towards the impulses of their Id (the few rational ones), brings them conflict. People who emulate other people - may they be the 'popular' ones, or the ones belonging to a counterculture (which, even though put down as non-conformist, is really conforming to the fixed, albeit different, ideas of a group) - feel accepted by society.
Non-conformists, on the other hand, feel no such need. Even if they might be wearing the 'current' fashion trends, they do so because they like them, and not because everyone else does - or does not. Anti-conformists do exactly the opposite of what is the norm as a way of differentiating themselves from the crowd. Non-conformists usually don't know they are non-conformists, as had happened to poor me until a while ago.
This blog celebrates non-conformism. Weirdness is appreciated, welcomed and rewarded here. The moral of the story is: Be yourself, and don't follow the crowd. They most often don't know where they're going. Come on! Could you see where you were headed to if the street you were walking on was full of people? Crane your neck and look, and if you don't like where you're going, don't hesitate to turn and walk the other way.
Very nicely put across. But you know what Sharvari, according to me each and every one of us is unique and weird in our own ways, but the problem is that we do not realize it or rather don't want to accept the fact, we'll be tagged weird and absurd by the society then, and we fear that. And thus all the imitation and traits of pleasing people come into being. The acceptance of this fact , that we are different, or rather have a mind of our own to think and react is a big achievement itself, i congratulate you for it! :) The biggest task for each one of us is to unfold our true self, which rather makes us non-conformist in your terms.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I meant by self-actualisation, Chandni. We learnt it last year in Psycho, remember?
ReplyDeleteYes i do remember, but u very well know how well people payed attention in Psychology lectures last year :P They found it useless, unlike a few like us :)
ReplyDeleteWell, you can't blame them. The lectures were hardly interesting. I felt kinda sad for the teacher though; no one listened to her.
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