" …What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude... "
Why should people care about what I do if it's my life? They don't have to live with my consequences, they don't have to live my life. I really love this quote, it reminds me of what I tell people all the time : "why are you in my business, it has nothing to do with you or concern you for the mater!" I get very upset when people tell me how I should live my life. It get's under my skin. You can't teach an overweight person how to eat like you so they can be thin, it's their bodies, their genetic code and a personal decision. It might work for one, but it doesn't work for all. It makes me think of the book "The Giver". It was about a boy in this neighborhood or rather this "Utopian" world where everyone did the same thing and nobody was different. But the main character, Jonas, had a different view. He had a different interpretation of his surroundings. I'm glad that I read this book, he never "conformed" to the norm in his society. It made me think of myself at the same time. I didn't do most of the "teenage" activities that my peers did, it wasn't in my nature. My nature was to be different. But the question at the end of the day is: Are we really different at the end of the day? No matter if we "conform" to the norms of society or not, we still share the same beliefs as others. Does that make us different, or are we just conformed to something else? Something to think about....
Great connection to "The Giver"--another novel that works well with the themes in this class!
ReplyDeletegood blog! I agree with you I do hate when people think that you have to do what they do and their way. You always want to be yourself and do what you want to do. I think it also connects with the people in your life too, they will love you for who you are no matter what. I learned this a lot last year with friends and it something that everyone needs to realize is to just be yourself or you will lose yourself
ReplyDeleteThat is a really good point you make at the end. There are always different ways to look at things. I remember that I knew nothing about what the other kids were talking about with singers and shows in elementary school. So just because I wasn't conforming to what they liked doesn't mean that I wasn't conforming at all. There never is just one opinion or arguement or style. There will always be other people like us who think and enjoy the same things we do. Sometimes I think conforming isn't always the best term for that. If I'm not around other people who like the same things as I do then I'm not conforming, but I am still like them.
ReplyDeleteAnother book our discussions remind me of is "Brave New World". It was also about a Utopian world, but the main character decides to fight against the "norm" in society. I think there are ways that we are all similar to each other, that's how we get along. It's how we form friendships and relationships on some type of common ground. But we're all still individuals, or so we like to think.
ReplyDeleteTo all: Loved your comments and honestly, I would so have to agree with all of us trying to go against the norms, but also being in the norms. We do all conform in ways of our own, not just societal ways, but personal ways!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about people telling me how to live my life. I don't think people should care about how I live my life because it's my life not theres.
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