Non conformist vs Integration -- LiveWire Teen Forums

Non-conformist vs Integration

One thing that we are always told in America is that it is great to be an individualist, to do "your own thing", to be a non-conformist and go against the grain and try new things and new ideas. What we are told in schools and in the books we read and the people we are told to admire is that it is cool to be "different", to be "special", to be "independent".

But if you really look at what really happens in American society is that in practice its not always easy to "stick out" and "do your thing". In the practice when you look for a job, when you go to school, even when you write an essay or even hang out with your friends, what really happens is that you really have to obey the rules, not just one time but all the time. The "rules" are a bit undefined sometimes but they are still rules and you know it when you break them.

For example: you have to wear what "regular" americans wear or else you're not respected. You have to speak "standard english" or people look down on you. You have to remove your accent or anything that makes you "different" or else people look at you funny and sticks into a bin and put a label on you.

Its true for anyone who "sticks out" by the way. Like if you're white but you wear long hair and wear hippy clothes and a beard then ppl will label you. If you're latino and have an accent or if you're black or asian then you automatically "stick out". But if on top of that you try to show too much your individuality (like you wear a big afro hair or a bandanna or some huge ring on your neck) then people say you are too much different and you don't "integrate" into american society.

Basically it's only once you are rich and famous that you can really display your difference the obvious way. But otherwise if you try to be too different then people reject you.

This also goes within groups by the way. Like if you are black but you try to stick out from what some other blacks expect blacks to do or act then you also stick out. Or if you're latino and you dont speak spanish. Or if you're asian and you go into "asian stuff" etc...

I would like your thought on that. Because to me theres a bit of a confusion and some double talk going on there.

If American society really valued "non-conformists" and "individuality" then they wouldn't expect everyone to be cookie cutter copy and do like everyone else and "integrate" into the same mold. They would really look at people as individuals and not worry about differences and even celebrate it. And they would look instead at what the person does and produce and gives to the society.

Post edited at 1:45 pm on Aug. 23, 2008 by jakelong

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