We owe progress to the eccentrics not to the conformists

We may sometimes mock or vilify the non-conformists who think or act outside the box, but through history these are the steadfast heroes who have been the catalyst for progress. Societies need creative innovators and social pioneers, but societies also need the conformists and robotic masses to carry out the plans of the leaders and creative forces. From childhood, our school years, and in the work place we are constantly encouraged to blindly follow authority and conform to the wishes of our societal masters. Our Madison Avenue advertising and public relations machines constantly reinforce conformity through appearance, cars, music, and technology. Our militaries and religious institutions are a consummate example of follow and do not question. So lets beg the question where would we be today if it were not for the likes of Galileo, Carl Sagan, Ralph Nadar, Einstein, MLK, Edison, Job, Emma Goldman, Gandhi, and Teddy Roosevelt? Being a non-conformist may be inconvenient, cause societal rejection, and require massive courage and perseverance. I like to proudly label myself a non-conformist who marches to his own drummer. I could care less about people’s judgments of me. My observation is that most people are so caught up in being loved and accepted that they throw the special creative pieces of themselves away in trade for acceptability. Anyone can “Go along to get along”, but those that challenge the status quo, be it technologically or socially are the unique seminal forces that carry us forward. I believe that how we project and interface ourselves in society is a complex amalgam of the “Nature/Nurture” paradigm.