Conformity vs. Nonconformity

"If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity."

--Bill Vaughan

I really don't think much about conformity versus nonconformity anymore, but I used to hate conformity.  I think that the line between conformity and nonconformity started to blur for me after one incident.  One day, my uncle accused me of wearing a piece of mainstream clothing.  Because I hated conformity back then (I wasn't a "nonconformist," but I tried to avoid conforming), I felt ashamed of myself.  But then, my grandfather (my uncle's father) told him that it was wrong to accuse me of anything, that I should be left to wear what I liked.  I realized that even though I was aware that what I wore was fashionable, I wore it because I liked it.  I thought it was elegant and comfortable.  And then I thought, to heck with names like conformist and nonconformist; I just want to do what I like, regardless of which category it belongs to.

As the quote points out, nonconformists are conformists, too.  They just wish to set themselves apart from "conformists," so they follow a different standard. 

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal."

--Albert Camus

Nonconformists spend as much energy conforming to their standard as "conformists" to their own.  If you want to be a "true nonconformist," you'd have to invent something new every day (to avoid conforming to yourself) and make sure that no one follows you (to avoid making what you do another "fashionable" thing).  Why don't we just do what we want to do, and if we have no idea what we want to do, then try a variety of things first.  And as long as "conformists" don't pressure anyone else to conform to their standard, they're pretty nice people who just want to feel like they belong.  Why not.