Non Conformists Research Paper

In today’s society, people feel the need to fit in and belong. Many people have felt this need to conform to society, so they are not seen as lonely or wierd. This pressure to be normal, seems to affect many people’s choices in life. Our society shouldn’t put pressure on people to conform, because it creates a group of conformists and a group of non-conformists. This group of non-conformists become outcasts and are look down upon. People shouldn't’ change your ways of life to belong, because one loses freedom, lose individuality, and they feel pressure from conformists.

Having freedom to do what you want and be who you want, is an important quality to life. Without this freedom, one is forced to become like everyone else. People see non-conformists as stand-out and weird people. However, these people are doing themselves a favor, because they are not doing what people think is normal. They dress how they want and express themselves. A representation of freedom is like Leopard Man. “He, however, is no ordinary freak. He doesn’t live for other people’s reactions. He lives in solitude.”(Feys 1). Leopard man lives however he wants, free on his little island. He doesn’t care what people think, all he is concerned about is being happy and and himself. People should be able to govern their own life and not have society control it.

Individuality is one of the most important aspects of one’s self.

It separates you from other people and represents who you are as a person. No one should be able to take that away from you, because that is who you are. Without Individuality, everyone would be the same. In today’s society, we have to lose a part of our individuality just to belong and be “normal”. “To be human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes, talents, values, and dreams that are distinct from those of others.” (Feys 1) Be yourself, you were brought into this world to be creative and represent the true person you are. Don’t let anyone change

that.

The biggest and most common trend in the essay is pressure from society. This is absolutely the most important factor of why people conform and try to fit in. Pressure is created when someone creates a certain standard, that everyone has to be like. This causes insecurity with one’s self and it forces people to be like that person. If one doesn’t meet the created standard, it creates anxiety and nerves, because people are worried about what others think. For myself, pressure from school is what makes me feel the need to be “normal” and be like “the cool kids”. High school is a very tough place, because belonging is difficult. To be accepted, I must resemble the “popular and cool kids”. If I fail to comply to these high school standards, I’ll be considered an outcast and judged by others. I always feel the need to follow these obligations, but I remind myself that I do not need to feel pressured because I am my own person and not anyone else.

If there is any takeaway from this essay, it is to not worry about following modern culture. Don’t change feel obligated to change how you look, act, and represent yourself, because you should be able to make your own decisions. It’s difficult to think about how one should be, because there is always that doubt and insecurity inside. However, if you can overcome this fear of being different, you feel like a completely reinvigorated person. Be strong and recognize yourself as who you want to be.