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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: conformity/nonconformity
Message-ID: <409@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-May-85 20:57:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.409
Posted: Fri May 10 20:57:07 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Jun-85 20:23:34 EDT
References: <716@drume.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 26

In article <716@drume.UUCP> trz@drume.UUCP (ZehrbachT) writes:
>This came as quite a shock to me.  Think of it, you're going along fine,
>reveling in your own individuality, because it is the REAL you, and now
>you find out that society has told you to be that way!  So now I don't know
>if I am being an individual for myself of if I am doing it for society. -:)

I've considered myself to be a non-conformist since grammar school at least
(i.e.  before  I  even  knew  there was such a word).  I also ran in to the
above paradox and gave considerable thought to the theory and  practice  of
non-conformism  as a result.

My conclusion was that it's nearly impossible to be unique.  No matter what
you  do  or  are,  it's  likely that someone, somewhere is the same or very
similar.  Therefore, the essence of non-conformity must lie not  in  _what_
you  do,  but  in  _why_  you  do  it.  If  you _like_ to wear gray flannel
everything then the fact that everyone around you is wearing it too doesn't
make  you  a conformist.  It's only when you do something you don't like or
don't care about _for the sake of conforming_ that you become a conformist.
-- 
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp TTI
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA  90405
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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