[REBORN FROM THE ASHES][comment][01.22]

fancywwUID: 2583671

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Conformity and individuality

Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd


Which of these two sayings is true? "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." or "Out of sight, out of mind." The answer is that both are true. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true over the short term and "Out of sight, out of mind" is true over the long term. For example, when Charlie's girlfriend, Betty, is gone for two or three weeks, he misses her, or his heart grows fonder. Yet, if Betty were to leave for two or three years, Charlie could very well forget her and get a new girlfriend ("Out of sight, out of mind.").

The purpose of the example is to show that contradictions, inconsistencies, and paradoxes are perfectly acceptable. In fact, without them we could never understand the full measure of life. For life is complex. It can never be reduced to a simple statement. It cannot be described in black and white terms. When we grasp this truth, it helps us to see things differently. We learn to question, probe, and search for the bigger picture. Even the greatest of minds will occasionally slip and fail to see the big picture because they mistakenly believe that contradictions are irreconcilable.

Take Euripides (485? ~ 406 BC), for example, he said, "No man on earth is truly free. All are slaves of money or necessity. Public opinion or fear of prosecution forces each one, against his conscience, to conform." What Euripides was writing about is today's topic, which is individuality versus conformity. Is it true, as he says, that we are not free to be ourselves because we are constrained by the times and culture we live in? True, we have to work, but aren't we free to love our jobs? Yes, society insists that we behave in a particular manner, but aren't we free to choose to conform when it is in our best interest to do so?

The truth is individuality and conformity are merely different sides of the same coin. We cannot have one without the other. We cannot have conformity unless there are individuals to conform. And we cannot have individuality unless there is conformity to break free of. Although conformity can be interpreted as a loss of freedom, without it society would be reduced to chaos. Look at present-day Iraq. Citizens are pleading with the coalition forces to restore law and order. They are begging to be restrained by laws, for once they are, they will be FREE to wander in the streets without fear.

Are you fed up with the many laws and rules you have to put up with? At times, you have a right to be, for the laws may well need changing. However, many times our dissatisfaction with the demands of society is because we have forgotten the benefits of conformity. Whenever we join a group, we share in the benefits, advantages, and power. And conformity is the price we pay to gain admission to that group. How can I have one without the other?

Imagine how the lives of Jews and Palestinians will improve when they agree to live in peace, harmony, and cooperation. By conforming to mutual expectations, they can transform a living hell to an earthly paradise. Such is the power and freedom we can gain by conforming to the greater good. When we learn to do so because of our concern for the rights of others, we grow in spiritual awareness and help to make the world a better place.

What should the goal of our lives be other than being ourselves? Although we were all born equal, we were all born different. Although we all share the same fears, feelings, and fancies, we express them differently. Although there may be little difference between one person and another, that little difference is VERY important. For as Hermann Hesse (1877 ~ 1895) wrote, "Every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world's phenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again." So, to relinquish our identity by following the crowd is to deny the world of our potentially unique contribution.

And how must we express our uniqueness? Isn't it by conforming to our conscience, conforming to our higher selves, conforming to the person we wish to become, conforming to our dreams, and conforming to our principles? How can we become better than we are until we first become what we are? The key to a successful life is always one of balance. It is no different here. We need to balance conformity with individuality. Both are necessary.

A word of warning: we have been socialized to conform to the wishes of authority figures. Too often we act out of habit. Yes, we need to cooperate and conform whenever it is fitting, but we need to question as well. Failure to question unscrupulous business accounting practices led to many people in the U.S. losing their retirement plans. Failure to question the government led to the loss of 58,000 American lives and perhaps 1,750,000 Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. Regardless of the authority figure, we need to question it. A quote attributed by Robert Green Ingersoll to Ferdinand Magellan (1480 ~ 1521) is a example, which writes, "The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the Church." [Yes, we need to conform, but not at the price of abandoning reason and common sense.

Not only do we need to question others, we need to question our own actions. Are we living with integrity and practicing individuality by being true to ourselves? If we stop and question ourselves, we may be surprised by the answer. When Emile Henry Gauvreau (1891 ~ 1956) stopped and questioned himself, he discovered, "I was part of that strange race of people aptly described as spending their lives doing things they detest to make money they don't want to buy things they don't need to impress people they dislike." Don't let that happen to you.

When you dare to be different, expect to be assailed. You may be labeled a misfit. But why worry about what others think, when as soon as you leave their company, they'll stop thinking about you anyway? Besides, it is as Mignon Mclaughlin (b. 1915) said, "Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers." We owe all progress, discoveries, and breakthroughs to those few men and women who had the courage to be different. Their differences made all the difference to the world. Our responsibility is no less than to follow their example.

Also part of our responsibility is to educate our children properly. When doing so, keep in mind the words of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 ~ 1900): "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." I'll end with another Nietzsche quote, "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." So, dare to be yourself!


http://personal-development.com/chuck/individualityconformity.htm

番茄斗斗UID: 2720914

占座！～

ieyangj08UID: 2743219

作业终于补完了，赶上今天的comment了，哈哈

splendidsunUID: 2723757

I like today's topic very much. The reasoning line of this article is very clear. Without big words that are difficult to understand. I can grasp the whole idea of the author.
Conformity and individuality is a hot topic that whole society widely discussed. By conforming to each other, it may bring peace and harmony not only in small groups but also between countries. However, in nowadays individuality should be give higher esteem, because it might make breakthroughs without compromising to the authority figures. And being ourselves is the best way to satisfy our inner needs according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which emphasizes self actualization is on the top of the pyramid.
Chinese people keep thinking the reason for that there is no Chinese from mainland could achieve Nobel Prize. In my opinion, we pursuit conformity excessively while overlook the benefit of individuality. In other words, we don't have enough freedom to do what we desire to. I agree with the points that conformity is comprised of individualities and every one represents the unique in the world. We couldn't deny the world of our potentially unique contribution by following the crowd.  

错字：
Emphasise—emphasize

Words:
irreconcilable不能和解的
prosecution检举
be plead with恳求
feed up with 厌倦
unscrupulous肆无忌惮的
authority figures权威人物
aptly适宜地
句子：
1.Absence makes the heart grow fonder.小别胜新欢
2. The truth is individuality and conformity are merely different sides of the same coin.
3. For as Hermann Hesse (1877 ~ 1895) wrote, "Every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world's phenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again."
4. We need to conform, but not at the price of abandoning reason and common sense.
5. Nietzsche quote, "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."
6．Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 ~ 1900): "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

番茄斗斗UID: 2720914

表达-好词-结构-生词-难句-可以借鉴的例子

Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd
Absence makes the heart grow fonder"is true over the short term
The truth is individuality andconformity are merely different sides of the same coin.
Look at present-day Iraq. Citizens are pleading with the coalitionforces to restore law and order. They are begging to be restrained bylaws, for once they are, they will be FREE to wander in the streetswithout fear.
For as Hermann Hesse (1877 ~ 1895) wrote, "Every man ismore than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very specialand always significant and remarkable point at which the world'sphenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again." So, torelinquish our identity by following the crowd is to deny the world ofour potentially unique contribution.
Failure to questionunscrupulous business accounting practices led to many people in theU.S. losing their retirement plans. Failure to question the governmentled to the loss of 58,000 American lives and perhaps 1,750,000Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. Regardless of the authority figure, weneed to question it. A quote attributed by Robert Green Ingersoll toFerdinand Magellan (1480 ~ 1521) is a example, which writes, "Thechurch says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon,and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the Church." [Yes,we need to conform, but not at the price of abandoning reason andcommon sense.
Besides, it is as Mignon Mclaughlin (b.1915) said, "Every society honors its live conformists and its deadtroublemakers."

Comment:
This article is well-established with depth and fluency, illustrating an extensive topic,Corfirmity and Individuality, with cases right to the point.

Before encountering the main idea, the author explains the existence of paradox,which enables that of comfirmity and individuality as well. According to the author, comfirmity is the foundation of individuality. As we complain about the loss of freedom which brought by comfirmity in a country, we gain the harmony in return. However, sheding our identity is none the less unforgiveable. By comforming our conscience, dream and principles, we struggle through a highly socialized character and live out our higher selves. In addition, question is unavoidable. When we limit ourselves in a lineated rules, we may be surprised someday; And this is well explained in science field.

I'm highly impressed by the final point. Even though it makes sence to overlook others and just be yourselves, misfit today is more than just a dream. With years of establishment , we are deeply labeled a socialized character. And when encountering an overwhelemed peer pressure, we are lost. Friends of mine apply for the membership of party with no real religion; Chinese residents strive for an ownership of single house,losing the interest of real life. Question is workless unless we jump out the circle and introspect its inner value.

ieyangj08UID: 2743219

上一位同学的
I like today's topic very much. The reasoning line of this article is very clear. Without big words that are difficult to understand. I can grasp the whole idea of the author.
Conformity and individuality is a hot topic that whole society widely discussed. By conforming to each other, it may bring peace and harmony not only in small groups but also between countries. However, in nowadays individuality should be given higher esteem, because it might make breakthroughs without compromising to the authority figures. And being ourselves is the best way to satisfy our inner needs according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which emphasizes self actualization is on the top of the need pyramid. 此处引用马斯洛需求理论，很好！
Chinese people keep thinking the reasons for that there is no Chinese from mainland could achieve Nobel Prize. In my opinion, we pursuit conformity excessively while overlook the benefit of individuality. In other words, we don't have enough freedom to do what we desire to. I agree with the points that conformity is comprised of individualities and every one represents the unique in the world. We couldn't deny the world of our potentially unique contribution by following the crowd.  

好句
Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Nietzsche quote, "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 ~ 1900): "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

Comment
Conformity or individuality, which one will you choose? It belongs to a class classic problem whose two answers are each side of a coin, and each one has both good and bad. Choosing conformity could make you stand in a safe place and be easy to get along with your future work. However, you might lose the opportunity of becoming outstanding. Yes, if there is a gain, there is also a lost. On the other side, choosing individuality, you might be successful through arduous effort, but at the same time you will undertake more pressures and meet more challenges in the foreseeable future. After all, no gambling, no win.

jinziqiUID: 2387034

fonder  having or displaying warmth or affection
probe  探索 (又出现一次,加深印象)
irreconcilable 不能妥协的
unscrupulous   without scruples or principles
detest   (强烈地)憎恶
assailed   attack someone physically or emotionally
intersect  贯穿
integrity  正直

好句子啊~

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." or "Out of sight, out of mind."
是不是一个是距离产生美，一个是眼不见，心不烦。。o(╯□╰)o

The truth is individuality and conformity are merely different sides of the same coin. We cannot have one without the other.

Although we were all born equal, we were all born different. Although we all share the same fears, feelings, and fancies, we express them differently. Although there may be little difference between one person and another, that little difference is VERY important.

Nietzsche quote, "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."

My comment

I do like this passage. It talks about conformity and individuality, and no one can live without another.

In China, you can see a lot of phenomena that people always catch up with others to do the same things such as taking part in the Party and dressing up the same style. Sometimes, it is called as a trend or even regarded as fashion, which I often pay less attention on. I don't like those fashionable things such as hair styles and popular stars, however, people will reckon that you are not easygoing and you are out, conforming the old too much and strange. On the other hand, I do except some new movies instead, which are hot for most people. I will go to the theater to enjoy 2012, Avatar, and so forth. Sometimes, I would like to watch a movie just at home.

So, I still believe that no one can live without the society. And I agree with the statement that we need to balance conformity with individuality. Also, the author stresses on a spiritual of question. We need to ask more questions about things to avoid the loss. In the mean time, you should ask yourself with the question whether you are living with integrity and practicing individuality by being true to yourself or not. We don't need to pay attention on what others think, just do ourselves.

AdelineShenUID: 2630498

comment:

Comformity and individuality are two seemingly inconsistant notion in today's world. Nowadays, comformity plays a more and more important role in people's relationship. People are living in a society, which is formed by different people with contradictory ideas. Only by cooperation and conformity can help people achieve a gole in efficiency. As almost no job can be finished with some single person, cooperation and working together will make things easier.

However, individuality is also important. Everybody is different and has the different status and importance in one work. What's more, to be yourself is the principle of many people in modern times.

All in all, conformity and individuality are both important and we should deal with them effectively.

plukaUID: 2721764

NOTE&EXCERPT
Conformity and individuality 

Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd

 "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true over the short term and "Out of sight, out of mind" is true over the long term.

1、The purpose of the example is to show that contradictions, inconsistencies, and paradoxes are perfectly acceptable. In fact, without them we could never understand the full measure of life. For life is complex. It can never be reduced to a simple statement. It cannot be described in black and white terms.（黑白分明地辨清） When we grasp this truth, it helps us to see things differently. We learn to question, probe, and search for the bigger picture. Even the greatest of minds will occasionally slip and fail to see the big picture because they mistakenly believe that contradictions are irreconcilable.（很好的观点段）

2、Take Euripides（欧里庇得斯，希腊悲剧诗人） (485? ~ 406 BC), for example, he said, "No man on earth is truly free. All are slaves of money or necessity. Public opinion or fear of prosecution forces each one, against his conscience, to conform." What Euripides was writing about is today's topic, which is individuality versus conformity. Is it true, as he says, that we are not free to be ourselves because we are constrained by the times and culture we live in? True, we have to work, but aren't we free to love our jobs? Yes, society insists that we behave in a particular manner, but aren't we free to choose to conform when it is in our best interest to do so?（观点：出于个人意志的服从）

3、The truth is individuality and conformity are merely different sides of the same coin. We cannot have one without the other. We cannot have conformity unless there are individuals to conform. And we cannot have individuality unless there is conformity to break free of. Although conformity can be interpreted as a loss of freedom, without it society would be reduced to chaos. Look at present-day Iraq. Citizens are pleading with the coalition forces to restore law and order. They are begging to be restrained by laws, for once they are, they will be FREE to wander in the streets without fear.（指出“自由”的混乱）

4、Are you fed up with（厌腻讨厌） the many laws and rules you have to put up with? At times, you have a right to be, for the laws may well need changing. However, many times our dissatisfaction with the demands of society is because we have forgotten the benefits of conformity. Whenever we join a group, we share in the benefits, advantages, and power. And conformity is the price we pay to gain admission to that group. How can I have one without the other?

5、Imagine how the lives of Jews and Palestinians will improve when they agree to live in peace, harmony, and cooperation. By conforming to mutual expectations, they can transform a living hell to an earthly paradise. Such is the power and freedom we can gain by conforming to the greater good. When we learn to do so because of our concern for the rights of others, we grow in spiritual awareness and help to make the world a better place.

6、For as Hermann Hesse (1877 ~ 1895) wrote, "Every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world's phenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again."

7、A word of warning: we have been socialized to conform to the wishes of authority figures. Too often we act out of habit. Yes, we need to cooperate and conform whenever it is fitting, but we need to question as well. Failure to question unscrupulous business accounting practices led to many people in the U.S. losing their retirement plans. Failure to question the government led to the loss of 58,000 American lives and perhaps 1,750,000 Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. Regardless of the authority figure, we need to question it. A quote attributed by Robert Green Ingersoll to Ferdinand Magellan (1480 ~ 1521) is a example, which writes, "The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the Church." [Yes, we need to conform, but not at the price of abandoning reason and common sense.


8、as Mignon Mclaughlin (b. 1915) said, "Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers." We owe all progress, discoveries, and breakthroughs to those few men and women who had the courage to be different. Their differences made all the difference to the world. 


9、Also part of our responsibility is to educate our children properly. When doing so, keep in mind the words of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 ~ 1900): "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem to those who think alike than those who think differently." 

COMMENT

The relation between individual and group is always multifold. This essay offered some good ideas, among which I find two are particularly impressive. 

The first one is that contradictions are acceptable. They happen because we deal with things using different metrics and from different perspectives. Therefore sth seemingly wrong may turn out to be perfectly right under certain circumstance. Both natural science and social reality have lent us many examples.

The second is that conformity is the price we pay for the group benefit, i.e., we have to obey the rule and get ourselves to be admitted into the society before enjoying the welfare the community provided and working our own wills, as a sign of individuality, within the community. 

Another quotation that I admire is that "Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers." Sounds ironical, and yes it is ironical, sadly. 

qisaimanUID: 2703629

the tone of this article is of a little preachment.
conformity is a contract signed by those who are reasonable, thus avoiding the rule of jungle taking over the earthly world. it is the adherence to the spirit of the contract that entitle the developed countries achieve where they are now. respect others and be yourself, then all of us can expect a better world to live in.

fancywwUID: 2583671

Useful expressions&examples&quotations:
The key to a successful life is always one of balance.
Although we were all born equal, we were all born different.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Out of sight, out of mind.
For life is complex. It can never be reduced to a simple statement. It cannot be described in black and white terms.
You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." So, dare to be yourself!
Failure to question unscrupulous business accounting practices led to many people in the U.S. losing their retirement plans.
Failure to question the government led to the loss of 58,000 American lives and perhaps 1,750,000 Vietnamese in the Vietnam War.
A quote attributed by Robert Green Ingersoll to Ferdinand Magellan (1480 ~ 1521) is a example, which writes, "The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the Church."
Comment:
First, I find that American like to use three adjectives together to modify something. There are many examples in the article: contradictions, inconsistencies, and paradoxes; peace, harmony, and cooperation; fears, feelings, and fancies; progress, discoveries, and breakthroughs. Usually in writing, we tend to use two adjectives together,like A and B. Actually, using three words together seems more .

It article sheds light on the relationship between individuality and conformity. The author concedes its complexity, but in those intricate details the article clearly illustrates the relationship--they are two sides of a coin. There is no coin with only one side, and there's no absolute conformity or individuality. To achieve one we have to sacrifice another more or less. Just in the degree of either of the two lies the difference of eastern and western cultures. The divide between the societies with an individualist mentality and the ones with a collectivist mentality was a very striking one.

I once read an experiment that if you show an American an image of a fish tank, the American will usually describe the biggest fish in the tank and what it is doing. If you ask a Chinese person to describe a fish tank, the Chinese will usually describe the context in which the fish swim. These sorts of experiments have been done over and over again, and the results reveal the same underlying pattern. Americans usually see individuals; Chinese and other Asians see contexts. And I think here contexts mean conformity.

Between individuality and conformity, the author puts more emphasis on individuality.  Just like the first saying the author quotes:"Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd". In this constantly changing world, being creative and independent is very important. People who  who conforms to the prevailing ways and opinions of one's time or condition for personal advantage; an opportunist. who conforms to the prevailing ways and opinions will finally end up with nothing. Born and raised in a culture that cherishes conformity more than individuality, we Chinese seem seldom the challenge the traditions. People who dare to be different are all brave ones, I believe. And now here we dare to try to challenge and improve ourselves by preparing to study abroad. Sometimes we may be labeled misfit as the article suggests, but the author gives us reasons to do so: their differences made all the difference to the world. Our responsibility is no less than to follow their example. So one again, dare to be yourself.

qxn_1987UID: 2610437

Which of these two sayings is true? "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." or "Out of sight, out of mind." The answer is that both are true. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true over the short term and "Out of sight, out of mind" is true over the long term. For example, when Charlie's girlfriend, Betty, is gone for two or three weeks, he misses her, or his heart grows fonder. Yet, if Betty were to leave for two or three years, Charlie could very well forget her and get a new girlfriend ("Out of sight, out of mind.").
The purpose of the example is to show that contradictions, inconsistencies, and paradoxes are perfectly acceptable. In fact, without them we could never understand the full measure of life. For life is complex. It can never be reduced to a simple statement. It cannot be described in black and white terms. When we grasp this truth, it helps us to see things differently. We learn to question, probe, and search for the bigger picture. Even the greatest of minds will occasionally slip and fail to see the big picture because they mistakenly believe that contradictions are irreconcilable.

The truth is individuality and conformity are merely different sides of the same coin. We cannot have one without the other. We cannot have conformity unless there are individuals to conform. And we cannot have individuality unless there is conformity to break free of. Although conformity can be interpreted as a loss of freedom, without it society would be reduced to chaos. 【Look at present-day Iraq. Citizens are pleading with（向．．．请求） the coalition forces to restore law and order. They are begging to be restrained by laws, for once they are, they will be FREE to wander in the streets without fear.】

Are you fed up with the many laws and rules you have to put up with? At times, you have a right to be, for the laws may well need changing. However, many times our dissatisfaction with the demands of society is because we have forgotten the benefits of conformity. Whenever we join a group, we share in the benefits, advantages, and power. And conformity is the price we pay to gain admission to that group. How can I have one without the other?

Imagine how the lives of Jews and Palestinians will improve when they agree to live in peace, harmony, and cooperation. By conforming to mutual expectations, they can transform a living hell to an earthly paradise. Such is the power and freedom we can gain by conforming to the greater good. When we learn to do so because of our concern for the rights of others, we grow in spiritual awareness and help to make the world a better place.

What should the goal of our lives be other than being ourselves? Although we were all born equal, we were all born different. Although we all share the same fears, feelings, and fancies, we express them differently. Although there may be little difference between one person and another, that little difference is VERY important. 【For as Hermann Hesse (1877 ~ 1895)
wrote, "Every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world's phenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again." So, to relinquish our identity by following the crowd is to deny the world of our potentially unique contribution.】

And how must we express our uniqueness? Isn't it by conforming to our conscience, conforming to our higher selves, conforming to the person we wish to become, conforming to our dreams, and conforming to our principles? How can we become better than we are until we first become what we are? The key to a successful life is always one of balance. It is no different here. We need to balance conformity with individuality. Both are necessary.

A word of warning: we have been socialized to conform to the wishes of authority figures. Too often we act out of habit. Yes, we need to cooperate and conform whenever it is fitting, but we need to question as well. 【Failure to question unscrupulous business accounting practices led to many people in the U.S. losing their retirement plans. Failure to question the government led to the loss of 58,000 American lives and perhaps 1,750,000 Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. Regardless of the authority figure, we need to question it. A quote attributed by Robert Green Ingersoll to Ferdinand Magellan (1480 ~ 1521) is a example, which writes, "The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the Church." [Yes, we need to conform, but not at the price of abandoning reason and common sense. 】

Not only do we need to question others, we need to question our own actions. Are we living with integrity and practicing individuality by being true to ourselves? If we stop and question ourselves, we may be surprised by the answer. 【When Emile Henry Gauvreau (1891 ~ 1956) stopped and questioned himself, he discovered, "I was part of that strange race of people aptly described as spending their lives doing things they detest to make money they don't want to buy things they don't need to impress people they dislike." 】Don't let that happen to you.

When you dare to be different, expect to be assailed. You may be labeled a misfit. But why worry about what others think, when as soon as you leave their company, they'll stop thinking about you anyway? Besides, 【it is as Mignon Mclaughlin (b. 1915) said, "Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."】 We owe all progress, discoveries, and breakthroughs to those few men and women who had the courage to be different. Their differences made all the difference to the world. Our responsibility is no less than to follow their example.

Also part of our responsibility is to educate our children properly. When doing so, 【keep in mind the words of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 ~ 1900): "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." I'll end with another Nietzsche quote, "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." So, dare to be yourself!】



Comments:

This article is so graceful and compelling, which is mainly on conformity and individuality. And as to this issue, I adopt an similar opinion as the speaker, that is conformity and individuality, as a matter of fact, is uniform, united and intergrated, intead of separated in our common sense. They just like the two sides of a coin, and we can’t have one without another.

Whereas, all too often we just pay too much attention or importance to only one of them, instead of treating or viewing merely only individuality or community while ignoring another. Many times we have forgotten the benefits of conformity to complain our dissatisfaction with the demands of society; and many times we are too habitual or craven to question.

In sum, it would be better if we could strike a balance between individuality and community.

123runfordreamUID: 2697608

comment：

The paradoxes, which we always put our attention to discuss about the absolute freedom, actually exist in the universe. When we are talking about the freedom in a nation charged by the government, we do understand it has to put an line, and no one is allowed to across that line. so there is no aboslute free. same as the laws. laws can contrain us in a lot of areas but still can't cover all. sometimes we need to keep on the morality above
the laws.

Focusing on personal development during our whole life living with others, such families, friends and strangers that sometimes make us abolish our rules to conform to the tradition or custom.
Hiding parts of our personality is a necessary way to keep good connection with other since we are social species that can live all alone.

But if the rule is not modified in some ways, where is the individual from? being different may be a big chellange and hard goal to achieve especially when peopele around are comfortable about the current situation and ready to assail people who make a difference. how successful you are may depent on how dare you are. when we finially decide to ignore the opposites, that will be our first step to change, which is significant.

emteddybearUID: 2699606

有关的Issue题目：77、 141、 198、 238



Conformity and individuality

Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd

Which of these two sayings is true? "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." or "Out of sight, out of mind." The answer is that both are true. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true over the short term and "Out of sight, out of mind" is true over the long term. For example, when Charlie's girlfriend, Betty, is gone for two or three weeks, he misses her, or his heart grows fonder. Yet, if Betty were to leave for two or three years, Charlie could very well forget her and get a new girlfriend ("Out of sight, out of mind.").

The purpose of the example is to show that contradictions, inconsistencies, and paradoxes are perfectly acceptable. In fact, without them we could never understand the full measure of life. For life is complex. It can never be reduced to a simple statement. It cannot be described in black and white terms. When we grasp this truth, it helps us to see things differently. We learn to question, probe, and search for the bigger picture. Even the greatest of minds will occasionally slip and fail to see the big picture because they mistakenly believe that contradictions are
irreconcilable.

Take Euripides (485? ~ 406 BC), for example, he said, "No man on earth is truly free. All are slaves of money or necessity. Public opinion or fear of prosecution forces each one, against his conscience, to conform." What Euripides was writing about is today's topic, which is individuality versus conformity. Is it true, as he says, that we are not free to be ourselves because we are constrained by the times and culture we live in? True, we have to work, but aren't we free to love our jobs? Yes, society insists that we behave in a particular manner, but aren't we free to choose to conform when it is in our best interest to do so?

The truth is individuality and conformity are merely different sides of the same coin. We cannot have one without the other. We cannot have conformity unless there are individuals to conform. And we cannot have individuality unless there is conformity to break free of. Although conformity can be interpreted as a loss of freedom, without it society would be reduced to chaos. Look at present-day Iraq. Citizens are pleading with the coalition forces to restore law and order. They are begging to be restrained by laws, for once they are, they will be FREE to wander in the streets without fear.

Are you fed up with the many laws and rules you have to put up with? At times, you have a right to be, for the laws may well need changing. However, many times our dissatisfaction with the demands of society is because we have forgotten the benefits of conformity. Whenever we join a group, we share in the benefits, advantages, and power. And conformity is the price we pay to gain admission to that group. How can I have one without the other?

Imagine how the lives of Jews and Palestinians will improve when they agree to live in peace, harmony, and cooperation. By conforming to mutual expectations, they can transform a living hell to an earthly paradise. Such is the power and freedom we can gain by conforming to the greater good. When we learn to do so because of our concern for the rights of others, we grow in spiritual awareness and help to make the world a better place.

What should the goal of our lives be other than being ourselves? Although we were all born equal, we were all born different. Although we all share the same fears, feelings, and fancies, we express them differently. Although there may be little difference between one person and another, that little difference is VERY important. For as Hermann Hesse (1877 ~ 1895) wrote, "Every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world's phenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again." So, to relinquish our identity by following the crowd is to deny the world of our potentially unique contribution.【过渡段】

And how must we express our uniqueness? Isn't it by conforming to our conscience, conforming to our higher selves, conforming to the person we wish to become, conforming to our dreams, and conforming to our principles? How can we become better than we are until we first become what we are? The key to a successful life is always one of balance. It is no different here. We need to balance conformity with individuality. Both are necessary. 【TS】

A word of warning: we have been socialized to conform to the wishes of authority figures. Too often we act out of habit. Yes, we need to cooperate and conform whenever it is fitting, but we need to question as well. Failure to question unscrupulous business accounting practices led to many people in the U.S. losing their retirement plans. Failure to question the government led to the loss of 58,000 American lives and perhaps 1,750,000 Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. Regardless of the authority figure, we need to question it. A quote attributed by Robert Green Ingersoll to Ferdinand Magellan (1480 ~ 1521) is a example, which writes, "The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the Church." [Yes, we need to conform, but not at the price of abandoning reason and common sense. 【TS】

Not only do we need to question others, we need to question our own actions. 【TS】Are we living with integrity and practicing individuality by being true to ourselves? If we stop and question ourselves, we may be surprised by the answer. When Emile Henry Gauvreau (1891 ~ 1956) stopped and questioned himself, he discovered, "I was part of that strange race of people aptly described as spending their lives doing things they detest to make money they don't want to buy things they don't need to impress people they dislike." Don't let that happen to you.

When you dare to be different, expect to be assailed. You may be labeled a misfit. But why worry about what others think, when as soon as you leave their company, they'll stop thinking about you anyway? Besides, it is as Mignon Mclaughlin (b. 1915) said, "Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers." We owe all progress, discoveries, and breakthroughs to those few men and women who had the courage to be different. Their differences made all the difference to the world. Our responsibility is no less than to follow their example.

Also part of our responsibility is to educate our children properly. When doing so, keep in mind the words of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 ~ 1900): "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." I'll end with another Nietzsche quote, "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." So, dare to be yourself



MY COMMNETS：
Such a beautiful issue it is. I think I should recite it, because of its brief and precise language. This issue is mainly about the relationship between the contradictions: conformity and individuality. And the author gives us a electic idea that we should be conformity, but what is more important is to be ourselves. In this issue, the writer uses many aphorisms and well-known sayings to support his standpoint. What's more, there is another point should be acquired. In this issue, there is a clear gist of each paragraph, and the topic sentence is always settled at the first sentence.

adammaksimUID: 2675466

comments:
"Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd." Although the title of this essay is " conformity and individuality", what the author really wants tell us is only by conforming to the majority, a person can never be remembered by others. It is of great importance for us to question those who think alike and offend the existing principles. However, the author also point out our individuality cannot be seperated from our conformity to the society, say, every citizen has to obey the law and rules to enjoy the walfare a community provides.This essay present us with a lot of good ideas, I like it so much.