I discovered an interesting blog today called "The Art of Non-Conformity: Unconventional strategies for life, work, and travel" by blogger Chris Guillebeau. What caught my eye initially was the title of the blog, particularly the part that reads "The Individual as Hero," since it has become a social risk to be an individual--non-conformist--in this day and age. I believe there is no real respect for individuality, because the risk is alienation from peers, friends, relatives, etc.
When we become so driven by our fear of social rejection, we stop taking risks...even educated and well-informed ones. We become afraid to dream, to believe, and to create goals for fear of being criticized. We lose our freedom of thought to popular beliefs. We take on the traits of the dominating culture for fear of rejection. These thoughts stood out to me as I read this blog:
Two related excerpts from Chris' blog...
"Here’s the idea: it’s OK to invest in yourself, to have fun experiences for yourself, and pursue the big dream. You don’t need permission to turn your dreams into goals. Give yourself permission! (I gave a talk about this subject at TedX CMU). That’s why some of the most effective 'big dream advice' is very simple: yes, you can really do that. What’s the worst that can happen if it doesn’t work out?"
Source link:
The Agenda Part II, the Individual as Hero
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