Being an Individual

In Rudyard Kipling' Just So Story of The Cat that Walked by Himself, the cat can be taken to represent the traits of an individual who agrees to exist within society without becoming a complete conformist. The cat's repeated mantra, "I am the cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me,” is very telling. This cat chooses to belong with the group on his own terms, but is not owned by them. We need to more often follow the lead of this cat.

All of us are asked to conform to the norms of Society and it is not always wrong to do so. Society often benefits when we all conform and many laws are intended to ensure that we conform in ways that our society deems critical such that we each achieve some level of education and we all drive on the same side of the road. However, while we are encouraged from an early age to conform and follow the rules, we need to understand that we also have choices and decisions that are ours to make. Following others blindly so that we better fit in is often inappropriate. There is tremendous pressure to like the same shows and follow the same sports teams as our friends to ensure acceptance. Often the affect of conforming in these ways is trivial. Wearing a particular wardrobe that helps us to fit in probably harms nobody. However, knowing when and where it might be more important to stress our individual preferences and thoughts, and when we should not blindly follow the crowd is critical.

Conforming isn't necesarily good. Mob violence is an extreme example where conforming is definitely negative. However, rebellion for the sake of being contrary should not be mistaken for individualism

As negative as conforming might be, individuality for individuality's sake is no better. Going against the crowd just because you want to be "an individual" is not significantly different from following it. Individuals are not expressing their own free thoughts if they let the actions of a group force them to reject an idea any more than if they let those actions cause them to embrace those ideas. If a person driving a car too closely behind you causes you to speed up, they are obviously exerting control over your actions. Likewise, if you see a car following too closely and you slow down in response, they are still influencing what you do and how you act. You cannot be an individual and let others control your thoughts and deeds. In political life, a party member who rejects the opposing party blindly is no more an individual than a member who supports their own party blindly. Too often we do not understand that in order to think as an individual, each of us needs to accept as part of our own individuality not only our individual differences but also the similarities we have with others.

Freedom is also mistaken for individuality. We are a free people. This doesn't mean that we can do what we want. There are still laws that govern us and there are still times when exercising our freedom infringes on the freedom of others. With freedom, comes responsibility and self-control. Likewise, individuality requires these same characteristics.

Individuality is a trait most of us believe we have, but most of us are wrong. This is why we are frequently referred to as a nation of sheep.