Conforming to Society: individuality and dignity Essay

Conforming to Society Fitting into society comes with the need to be yourself in hopes that other people will accept you for who you truly are. One’s individuality and dignity are automatically taken away by the desire to fit in. Many people believe that others should act a certain way to be â€Å"normal† like everyone else without having the need to be their own person and expressing themselves, while at the same time being accepted by society for who they truly are. Take Tom Leppard as an example, a bizarre individual, identified in the article, â€Å"The Sociology of Leopard Man,† by Logan Feys, an online blogger, and high school teacher. Feys describes Tom Leppard as an extraordinary individual that does not feel the need to act like everyone else in society. When it comes to being an individual the unique aspects that make us who we are often overshadowed by society’s pressure to conform when in reality we should be accepted and respected for our individuality. Many do not realize that living a different lifestyle outside of the normal society could actually make them happier rather than following the â€Å"norm†. In the article, Feys states, â€Å" Leopard Man- unlike many millions of people who are slaves to society’s demands- is happy.† (1) This quote helps show readers that you don’t have to live up to society’s demands in order to be happy. Just because many of us live under the impression to act a certain way doesn’t mean those that choose to live a non-conformist lifestyle should be forgotten about. To expand on Feys’ claim many that live differently from society get the chance to express their individuality which could, therefore, lead to them living a happier life, as Leopard Man has shown. Many will argue that society shouldn’t be forced to accept people that choose to live a non-conformist lifestyle. In the article, â€Å"Non-Conformists Conform†, Robin Hanson states, â€Å"Sometimes you can’t please everyone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even though this may be true society should still be able to accept them for who they are as people even though they may not be 100% on board with what they are doing. Many times non-conformist aren’t doing any harm which gives people no right to mistreat others that choose to have a different lifestyle than them. All people should be accepted and respected no matter if they choose to live a non-conformist lifestyle or not. In short, people like Tom Leppard should be able to live their life as they please while at the same time know that they are not being misjudged based on how they want to live their life. Many need to start seeing that even though they are not living up to society’s expectations it doesn’t mean that they are not a part of society. They should still be seen as normal human beings that are not afraid to show their own individual characteristics that make them unique. To conclude, people need to start to accept non-conformists as a part of society and not simply ignore their presence or misjudge/mistreat them based off of how they choose to live their life.