"...conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth" - JFK

Would being the read apple make you nervous and uncomfortable?

Do you make decisions based on compulsions of conformity? What I mean is do you make decisions based on your personal beliefs and convictions or are you so desperate to fit in that you make decisions because it is the popular choice? How long did it take you to decide on which phone to purchase? Did you do any research or did popular opinion make your decision for you? (Its ok to be honest, it's just me and you)

Most people do not notice that the majority of their decisions are influenced by a deep rooted impulse to conform and fit in with their peers. Since our youth we have been trying to fit in. Human beings are highly skilled at mimicry. As young children, mimicking others is literally how we learn about the world around us and how to interact with it and other people. The examples are endless; parents who smoke in front of their child increase the chances that their child will eventually pick up the habit, the same goes for short-tempered role models. As we grow, this process becomes more and more embedded in our lives, even to the point that by the time most of us have reached adulthood we dress, act, talk, reason and argue similar to the others that have influenced us throughout our lives.

Have you ever stopped to think about the "hows" and "whys" behind your opinions? I noticed this when a friend of mine and I were on a short road trip. About half way to our destination, my buddy Kyle (sorry man, had to throw you out there) and I stop to get something to eat. We hit the drive-thru and are back on the road. When I finish my burger I, like I always have, crumble up my trash and put it in the paper bag it came in and place it on the floorboard. Kyle, on the other hand, shamelessly chucks his trash out the window onto the interstate. When he did that I began to think about where that trash was going to end up and how littering is a major problem. Now up until that moment I had never considered the consequences of littering. I'm being serious. I was taught all of the facts when I was younger and made it a point not to litter, but had never really paid any mind to the reality of the negative affects of pollution due to littering. This made me wonder why, if I had never really considered the consequences to be of much importance, I was not a "litter-bug" like my friend. The answer came when I pulled up to my mom's house, the house I grew up in. I was instantly reminded of how well manicured and well kept the neighborhood was, with the exception of the house on the bottom of the hill. They always had scraps of trash in their yard and overgrown weeds dominated the landscape. Every time we drove by that house she would say "Those litter-bugs are the eyesore of the neighborhood!"

Even spoons have insecurity issues now?!

My lifetime commitment to being "litter free" was not based on a well informed, thorough, conscious decision to keep the earth free of litter. It was based on not wanting to be like the people who lived on at the bottom of the hill. My mom's opinion, and the opinions of people like her, shaped my view of littering because I didn't want to be judged like that. I say all this to show that although it is a good thing not to litter, I didn't come to live that lifestyle through an independently developed conviction. Notice I said "lifestyle", as these conformity opinions and decisions have a profound affect on the way you live your entire life, not just one small aspect of your life.

Too many people simply hear someone else's opinion or idea and accept it as their own. Did you take the time to sit down and read your sample election ballot before the last time you voted? Do did you just side with whatever popular choices "your" political party said you should. If you're too busy to form an opinion for yourself, do yourself a favor and don't have an opinion. It will do you tons of good and help you reveal who YOU really are. When faced with the task of forming an opinion or making an opinionated decision, take the time to do some research on the subject.

You cannot please everyone, so don't try. You will be exhausted and even more confused then when you began. But when you make the effort to put everyone else's opinions to the side you will be more confident in your actions and being above reproach is a great place to be. I can honestly say that anyone could bash any of my opinions and I couldn't care less because I know the "why" and "how" so I stand secure. This is a liberating and victorious way to live.