In Praise of Nonconformity
By Karen Kataline
All my life, I have railed against conformity and superficiality. I’ve never been a fan of superficial nonconformity, either. Think of the stunningly conformist, ‘nonconformity’ of the sixties.
Communism requires collectivism. It cannot exist without eradicating nonconformity. Collectivism thrives on bigotry as well; Without it, we might see people as individuals worthy of respect and consideration.
If we refuse to lump people together into groups, we have to recognize that we don’t know everything about them the minute we meet them. We actually have to talk to them, listen to and learn about them –- maybe even treat them with kindness and respect, which is a prerequisite to even begin to do that. What a concept!
Most of us know instinctively that all of that is preferable to diminishing the value and worth of our fellow human beings and giving free rein to our prejudices. We used to be taught that it was wrong to prejudge a person based on superficial characteristics. Not anymore.
The communists in our midst have worked very hard and succeeded quite handily so far in elevating the very things they have lectured us against so vehemently. Blame, Bigotry, Stereotyping, and Hatred are but a few things on that list.
In the name of “anti-racism,” we may now be racists. In the name of “diversity,” we must now march in lock-step. It is in fashion to eradicate all ideological diversity and any genuine non-conformity. Certainly, individuality is “out.” That’s “racist,” too, isn’t it?
As in the profoundly important picture included here, the rise of collectivism and conformity and the suppression of dissent have always led to very ugly places in history.
In the United States of America, it is leading there again.
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Karen Kataline’s style has been described as “funny, feisty, but fair.” She hosts Spouting Off, a live, call-in talk show covering politics, pop culture, and social psychology. She maintains an active blog, and her Op-Eds can be seen online on Fox News, Investor’s Business Daily, Western Journal, Town Hall, The Daily Caller, FrontPage Mag, and The American Thinker.
Both my Daughters shake their heads in disbelief at some of things I say and do. My younger Daughter recently asked me why I’m not worried about being “Cancelled”. I told her. ” I don’t care to be judged by the Stupid and Foolish. Not caring is true Freedom! Freedom gives you Power.” I mostly hang around with nonconformist, which is why we can have passionate debates and walk away as even closer friends. It’s the Conformist who never really go anywhere in life or have real friends.
I tell her regularly that she has a good sense of what is right, but she is way too worried what her friends might think. Teenage peer pressure to conform is far greater than in the 50s and 60s. While People may not agree with you, you can defend almost all your ideas with facts and they can’t. If you expressed more of your ideas, and defended them, you will win others over to your side. You won’t be an “influencer”, you will in time be a Leader. Look at where speaking her mind has gotten your sister, she is anything but a follower. She had a great job coming out of College and a boss who was a jerk. She told him to take the Job and Shove it, then went out and found a better job where she can implement better business practices and is moving up the ladder.
My daughter does have the good sense not to tell me that she can take school and shove it even though she doesn’t really enjoy school. I was a High School drop out, but back in the late 60s and even in the 70s dropping out of school and going into High Tech Military Programs was a good move. I want little to do with today’s WOKE Conformist Military. We used to win wars when we had a Nonconformist Military that pushed the rules to the limits. America needs more Pattons!