I always had different believes, thoughts, ideas, likings and dressing that were constantly in conflict with society's.
I felt misunderstood, judged.
I felt misunderstood, judged.
Until I chose sociology as one of my school classes.
There, I learned that society provides rules, norms, values, standards of behaviours, to promote unity, order, safety, harmony and social cohesion.
So, when someone doesn't follow the established standards behaviours, that behavior become unpredictable. Therefore, possibly dangerous. And it can jeopardize the social equilibrium.
Then, I found out that I was, what the sociology calls, a deviant - "someone with adjustment problems to the conventional society, whose socialization process failed to integrate and so to behave as expected". A nonconformist.
I start to reflect and I came to conclusion that society is so hostile to what is different, because they don't comprehend it, they don't know what is it. They fear what is unknown. They need to know what to expect from others.
If someone doesn't follow, they see it as a threat. Cause if you don't follow, you don't identify with them, therefore you don't want to be like them. You don't want to be one of them. You don't like them. So, they don't see you as one of them and they don't like you.
They will criticize, judge, make pressure, disapprove and exclude, to defend their values, their culture, their normality, what is familiar to them, what unites them, what defines them as society.
That's why they resist to change. They don't want to lose their identity.
They will criticize, judge, make pressure, disapprove and exclude, to defend their values, their culture, their normality, what is familiar to them, what unites them, what defines them as society.
That's why they resist to change. They don't want to lose their identity.
Today, society reacts better to new deviants. Different cultures are blending - people are accepting better what is different - the globalization effect.
Many deviants individuals from the past contributed to society with new inventions, arts, humanity, ideas, discoveries, and much more.
Society needs change to improve and develop.
If it doesn't present any harm, it brings dynamism, innovation, evolution!
The deviants of today can change the standards behaviors of the future, if they are many feeling the same.
People are not robots that you can program to have all the same behaviours and opinions. People have different personalities, needs, emotions, experiences, dreams...
We can respect each other and live peacefully, while embracing our own uniqueness.
I didn't change my thoughts, believes, clothing, behaviors. I didn't change who I am, but I, definitely, changed how I see society, my perspective. And I became a more understanding person.
Maybe society still doesn't understand me, but, I understand them, now.
After all, we were all deviant somewhere during our life..
I didn't change my thoughts, believes, clothing, behaviors. I didn't change who I am, but I, definitely, changed how I see society, my perspective. And I became a more understanding person.
Maybe society still doesn't understand me, but, I understand them, now.
After all, we were all deviant somewhere during our life..