I've often pondered if certain individuals dress and act to stand out in order to fit in. It's an amusing concept. The example that could most easily be applied to this notion is that of Goths or Tight-Jeaned, Thick-Glasses-Rims, Punk-Rawkers. Exhibiting a particular persona in order to remove oneself from the crowd, or a mere method of gaining membership into a sub-crowd?
I don't wish to come off as stereotyping certain groups of people, because the idea of individuals truly believing that they are nonconformists from the whole of society (although they may be unconsciously conformists to certain subgroups in society) can be readily applicable to any number of individuals.
Using myself as an example; if an outside observer were to classify me into a subgroup, they would note my ethnicity, the sweater, spectacles, and textbooks and immediately identify a classic nerd. I, however, vehemently believe that I don't belong into any subgroup; that I'm a rare oddity whose general disdain for mainstream media liberates me from the confines of any subgroup classification. The fact that I have bad eye-sight from voracious reading, get cold easily, and enjoy classical music shouldn't detract from my argument, right? (Ehhh, the fact that I used the words "voracious" and "detract" in the same sentence...)
Does anyone else see the irony in the saying that "We are ALL unique?" Or the sentiment that one may classify his/herself as a nonconformist...like everyone else?
I think some people try too hard to be unique, and those are the people that end up being just another nonconformist, the same as everyone else. The people who are just themselves, and don't try to be unique or nonconformist, are usually the ones that you try to describe and end up saying something like "Mark is, well, Mark." and everyone who knows them nods their head.
"Some say what I want to do is impossible. I say it is necessary."
"Don't question authority. They don't know either."
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
- Marianne Williamson
I think people want the lable of being "unique" but they still want the security of being part of a crowd.