The Sense of Character

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Recommended: Individualism and conformity

The things that make one different are the things that cause the world to change and lead to conformity. Uniqueness is a characteristic that is in everyone; no one person is the same. In this way, Equality 7-2521 from Anthem, a novel written by Ayn Rand, conforms to society on his outward actions to keep him safe, but on this inside, his drive for individuality and not being “normal” allows him to discover a tunnel in which he discovers multiple things like electricity. In a similar aspect, I seek to with my mind, as if a moving vehicle, swerve sharply to the opposite direction to avoid indifference and achieve my maximum potential.

The outward conformity that arises in Equality 7-2521 is due to the necessity of being safe. Equality 7-2521’s curiosity is sparked by the discovery of a tunnel which opened an extensive number of opportunities in invention and discovery. Unlike others, Equality 7-2521 did not go on into denial about his ideas like the Homes of the Scholars when their ideas were rejected by multiple members. He hid his inventions and discoveries inside the tunnel while only letting his friend, International 4-8818, know. Safety was key in the continuation of his, Equality 7-2521, research, and his making sure that his progress did not go to waste. This disagreement between him and his society leads to the development in a conscience that does not wish to apprehend to the rules of society, but rather disobey and advance.

The inward questioning that is elicited in the back of Equality 7-2521’s mind is a result of the disturbance in what he has been taught, and what has been discovered. Equality 7-2521 realizes that he wants some things more than others, and that he doesn’t want to be like everyone else, that he wan...

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...s that are made. This is the same as Equality 7-2521 in that he wants individuality, but is not able to gain it completely. The tension brings him to run from his people, and settle somewhere in the woods with The Golden One. For me, the tension leads to random outbursts of controlled individuality, and the fun factor takes place rather than what people think. The questioning has brought a significant change to my personality, which is kept in check by the conforming that is required.

In outward conformity and in inward questioning, there is the power, the ability, and the motive to see and accept change. This change can be brought out by the tension that takes place between the two, and that change is the identity of a person; it is the difference between myself and the crowd. This realization can transform the world in a different sense: the sense of character.

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