I know I have already elaborated on Emerson’s idea “Imitation is suicide,” but I cannot seem to get these words out of my mind. So many ideas are sparked by this very sentence. I think about the pressure of today’s society to conform into the idealistic person. Whether watching the news, reading magazines, or simply walking among others we are told to “look like this, buy this, and eat this.” Money, status, appearance, are these the things that we should be striving for? Society teaches us to judge, mentally abusing each other for being different. And the lengths people will go to just to “fit in;” surgery to alter appearances and dieting to the point where it’s a struggle not to faint are more common than ever in today’s culture.
Then I look at all the people, in history and in present, who have broken the band of conformity. Some cases those individuals are ridiculed (or even worse) and abused until they step down and blend in. But those who have the immense strength to go against the mold despite the constant ridicule, become the new leaders of the pack. They are the ones who change the world and do the things we thought never possible. If it wasn’t for Benjamin Franklin, would we be an independent society? Without the Wright Brothers, would we have flight?
So what if I’m not part of a “clique” and don’t follow the alpha. I’d much rather be myself than a puppet of someone else. Like Emerson says, imitation means you will only ever be a lesser secondary version of the individual. Every person is born unique and I believe that is the biggest power we possess. Like I said earlier, conformity is like giving up your soul- everything you are.
My ideas are all over the place…
Jesse,
ReplyDeleteYour ideas may be 'all over the place' but they're good ones! Take your time with this, and let your initial draft (the one we'll be peer reviewing on Monday) be exploratory. That is, it's okay if you don't really figure out what you think until somewhere on the second or third page. It'll be helpful if you can ground your ideas in specific contexts (you mentioned, for example, cliques here at THS). The more you use examples to explain your ideas, the more likely your reader will be able to follow them. This sounds like a fun (and interesting) essay. I'm looking forward to reading a draft of it!
woah i really like this. i think you have really true ideas and a really strong point. even though your ideas are "all over the place" they are also all connected and will be great supports in your essay.
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