[rant]I hate society.

[Shadow Wolf]

More specifically, I hate societies preassure to conform. I greatly enjoy being myself, and like no one else, and recent preassures to change my ways are starting to **** me off.
The normal crowd tells me long hair is for girls (My job is now even requiring me to cut it. Thank the Gods for wigs.), the normal crowd keeps a fearful eye on me when I wear my trench coat, the normal crowd tells me my music is "violent, demonic, and harmfull to society," they would keep jobs from me just because I got high on my own time, they cringe at me being Pagan, because in thier narrow closed-mindedness, Christian is the only way to go because Jews are odd and to be laughed at, Muslims are terrorist, and everything else is Satanic and bad. The normal crowd laughs at me, and others, because we live as individuals. Personally, I feel castrated by giving up any of my personality traits that go against the norms, and yeilding to thier whims. I refuse to even discuss giving up drugs, and telling people that it will be ok. If the user is over doing it, and the drugs are severely hurting him financially and his family, then I would, but not to give them up entirely.
I wonder, what is wrong with men who have long hair?
What is wrong with people who do soft drugs on thier own time?
What is wrong with listening to Hatebreed, Manson, Fear Factory, Cradle of Filth, and other very hard, vulgar, profane, and shock groups?
I say nothing, but I was raised away from the normal crowd, and I don't see thier ways. I laugh at them for spending money on fads, on expensive toys they will want replaced tomorow, and living lives that are void and without meaning, for they live like each other.
[/rant]

 

[MysticSang'ha]

More specifically, I hate societies preassure to conform. I greatly enjoy being myself, and like no one else, and recent preassures to change my ways are starting to **** me off.

Remember Kermit the Frog? "It's not easy being green?" I don't want you to feel like I'm belittling your feelings, so take it from me, there are times that I go through much of what you feel. Yet Kermit understands that there are more of us than society is willing to admit. Embrace your uniqueness, for without people like you, the world would be so freakin' boring.

The normal crowd tells me long hair is for girls (My job is now even requiring me to cut it. Thank the Gods for wigs.),.....

To be honest, Luke, I like men with long hair. And besides, if anyone tried to tell you that long hair is a sign of anti-establishment/immoral.........just hold up a picture of Jesus. *grins*

the normal crowd keeps a fearful eye on me when I wear my trench coat, the normal crowd tells me my music is "violent, demonic, and harmfull to society," they would keep jobs from me just because I got high on my own time, they cringe at me being Pagan, because in thier narrow closed-mindedness, Christian is the only way to go because Jews are odd and to be laughed at, Muslims are terrorist, and everything else is Satanic and bad.

My brother used to wear a long black trench coat all the time and sported his hair as a purple mohawk. He has many tattooes all over his body and has a few body piercings that have locations that perhaps shouldn't be mentioned here. *nudge nudge* He's a huge fan of death metal, and I've sometimes found myself paying attention to his music as well as the bands that go on tour for Ozzfest and such (like Manson or Slipknot, etc.). And.........my brother is an electrician for a company that works closely with Disney. Feel better? There are more open-minded people out there.

The normal crowd laughs at me, and others, because we live as individuals. Personally, I feel castrated by giving up any of my personality traits that go against the norms, and yeilding to thier whims. I refuse to even discuss giving up drugs, and telling people that it will be ok. If the user is over doing it, and the drugs are severely hurting him financially and his family, then I would, but not to give them up entirely.

This is a whole other can of worms, because of drug use being instituted as an illegal activity (which is definitely a worthy debate on the efficacy of this law enactment), but in regards to others laughing at you...........they laugh at me, too. Try to look at the bright side of others laughing at you - it's definitely better than making them cry, isn't it? I'm 4'11", and I definitely don't fit into the mold of what is considered cookie-cutter "beautiful" simply because of my size. But if I make others feel good because they feel taller than me, then I'm doing all right just by existing. I bring a smile to other people's faces.

I wonder, what is wrong with men who have long hair?

Read what I said before - I think it's sexy as long as the hair is taken care of.

What is wrong with people who do soft drugs on thier own time?

It's against the law. But, there are grass roots organization that are trying to push legalization, however, so maybe you might find camaraderie with them.

What is wrong with listening to Hatebreed, Manson, Fear Factory, Cradle of Filth, and other very hard, vulgar, profane, and shock groups?

IMO, nothing, so long as one can seperate the art form from any perceived call to action. Just about everyone I've met who listens to the groups you mentioned and to death metal make that distinction very well, so it isn't the music that's bad.

I say nothing, but I was raised away from the normal crowd, and I don't see thier ways. I laugh at them for spending money on fads, on expensive toys they will want replaced tomorow, and living lives that are void and without meaning, for they live like each other.
[/rant]

That's fine.......everyone can laugh at each other, then. I laugh inwardly, too, at these meaningless habits. They laugh at me. I laugh at them. Everybody's happy.



Hope you feel better, Luke. :flower2:





Peace,
Mystic

 

[michel]

More specifically, I hate societies preassure to conform. I greatly enjoy being myself, and like no one else, and recent preassures to change my ways are starting to **** me off.
The normal crowd tells me long hair is for girls (My job is now even requiring me to cut it. Thank the Gods for wigs.), the normal crowd keeps a fearful eye on me when I wear my trench coat, the normal crowd tells me my music is "violent, demonic, and harmfull to society," they would keep jobs from me just because I got high on my own time, they cringe at me being Pagan, because in thier narrow closed-mindedness, Christian is the only way to go because Jews are odd and to be laughed at, Muslims are terrorist, and everything else is Satanic and bad. The normal crowd laughs at me, and others, because we live as individuals. Personally, I feel castrated by giving up any of my personality traits that go against the norms, and yeilding to thier whims. I refuse to even discuss giving up drugs, and telling people that it will be ok. If the user is over doing it, and the drugs are severely hurting him financially and his family, then I would, but not to give them up entirely.
I wonder, what is wrong with men who have long hair?
What is wrong with people who do soft drugs on thier own time?
What is wrong with listening to Hatebreed, Manson, Fear Factory, Cradle of Filth, and other very hard, vulgar, profane, and shock groups?
I say nothing, but I was raised away from the normal crowd, and I don't see thier ways. I laugh at them for spending money on fads, on expensive toys they will want replaced tomorow, and living lives that are void and without meaning, for they live like each other.
[/rant]

I long ago decided that what society wanted from me was low down on the "It matters to me " scale; I am an individual, and have never followed fashions or whims.

I can see your point; don't worry. What is more there are plenty more like you around.

 

[mostly harmless]

I long ago decided that what society wanted from me was low down on the "It matters to me " scale; I am an individual, and have never followed fashions or whims.

Same here.

I am the 'black sheep' in my family because when I went to votech high school not only did I keep my head shaved the entire time, but I chose the "unfeminine" trade of HVAC/P. I wore combat boots and grungy threads.
Then in my Junior year I took it even further and followed my childhood dream-I enlisted in the Marine Corps...shipped out a couple of weeks after graduating my senior year. Kept my head shaved until I got married then I grew it out a bit (only a bit) then cut it off again.
I have a Marine Corps tattoo and Japanese character on my right arm, Japanese characters and a gecko on my left arm, a tribal art lookin heart on my stomach and a Tribal art looking Rose on the small of my back. My Japanese characters mean: (R) Courage/Inner strength and (L) Seek Truth- for me that is like inner truth/know yourself... I used to be told (when I lived in Ga) all the time that I was going to hell because of me being me...I just laughed..

Like Mystic said-they laugh at 'us' we laugh at 'them'...everyone's having a ball...

To Thine Ownself, Be True.

 

[evearael]

There is nothing wrong with long hair and Marilyn Manson. Don't feel bad for not buying into the same level of mindless conspicuous consumption as the people around you. I love KMFDM, a band that got bashed after Columbine despite the fact that their lyrics denounce violence and war. Then there is the crowd that condemns me for playing rpgs and computer games. I understand where you are coming from. Hang in there!

 

[MysticSang'ha]

There is nothing wrong with long hair and Marilyn Manson. Don't feel bad for not buying into the same level of mindless conspicuous consumption as the people around you. I love KMFDM, a band that got bashed after Columbine despite the fact that their lyrics denounce violence and war. Then there is the crowd that condemns me for playing rpgs and computer games. I understand where you are coming from. Hang in there!

Another fan of KMFDM? Me, too! You rock, Leonne! unk:



Peace,
Mystic

 

[PetShopBoy88]

Who cares what the "normal crowd" tells you? You are obviously falling at least a little bit into their trap by caring so much.

I feel castrated by giving up any of my personality traits that go against the norms

Then don't give up any. Of course, if you want the socially accepted form of currency, you might have to do this or that, but that would be you expressing your values (money is more important than long hair), not society "forcing" you to do anything you don't want to.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Who cares what the "normal crowd" tells you? You are obviously falling at least a little bit into their trap by caring so much.

It's not that I want to. The music, language, drinking, flipping off people, and other stuff stays. The drugs I gave up to hopefully get a better paying job with benefits. I could drink alot of water and start using them again, as I can't pass a hair folicle test, or I would be making 14.50 an hour.
The hair is a requirment for my job. **** that. I'm also upset with my boss who doesn't have the testicular fortitude to let my put my hair in a tail and hide it under a hat, especially after all the stuff I've done, and left it to the decision of the assistant manager.

(money is more important than long hair), not society "forcing" you to do anything you don't want to.

It's societies views that men should have short hair. Seeing as how hair falls off, short or long, I can't even see justifing an "above the collar" haircut in food establishments, especially when women can have long hair.

 

[BFD_Zayl]

i know what you mean, the current generation wants me to be a friggin doctor, lawyer, dentist, etc. and people dont get that, i work with my hands. not my brain, and i wish to become a gunsmith. no one understands it.

 

[PureX]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, ....

But "rebel" is a crowd, too. It's just a smaller crowd.

I'm middle aged, and I've been around long enough to have met lots of "rebels", (and even to have been one, once) and from my perspective, you all pretty much look alike, too. It's like teenagers. Teenagers all think they're so incredibly unique, and that no one else could possibly understand them or their problems or how they feel. Yet everyone on the planet that's older than they are were once teenagers, too, and we ALL know perfectly well what it's like. Which is why we don't take them seriously when they whine about how unique they are. *smile* We know they aren't unique at all, because we were once just like them.

Be yourself. But quit whining about how hard it is to be so "unique". Cause you're not so unique. Lots of the people you think are such conformists had long hair, and wore trench coats, and listened to adolescent music and did drugs just like you. In fact, you'd be amazed at some of the things those people you're complaining about have done. Some of them were way more outrageous and "unique" than you know, believe me.

You really want to be unique? Try treating other people like individuals, and maybe then they'll return the favor.

(also a KMFDM fan)

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I am complaining about conformity, standards, expectations, and how society expects everyone to look and act alike. I never claimed to be unique and not like anyone else. I just claimed I do not follow the main stream society.

Teenagers all think they're so incredibly unique, and that no one else could possibly understand them or their problems or how they feel. Yet everyone on the planet that's older than they are were once teenagers, too, and we ALL know perfectly well what it's like. Which is why we don't take them seriously when they whine about how unique they are. *smile* We know they aren't unique at all, because we were once just like them.

Thats another thing about society I despice. The older generation, mainly parents, expect thier kids to behave and not do anything thier not supposed to, when the parents will tell thier deliquent stories with pride.
And the "we don't take them seriously" attitude tops the list. People don't take teens seriously, and look at how many have killed themeselves. It's a topic for another thread, but alot of people don't notice a teens suicidal tendacies until its too late. It's generalized to be youthful inexperience, and no one pays attention. I nearly lost a veyr close friend because his parents did take him seriously.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

i know what you mean, the current generation wants me to be a friggin doctor, lawyer, dentist, etc. and people dont get that, i work with my hands. not my brain, and i wish to become a gunsmith. no one understands it.

I can vouch for what you're going through. Everyone wants me to have a job working with computers, and that my wrestling dreams are very childish, and I need to grow up.

 

[Ðanisty]

I noticed that your profile says you're 19. Believe it or not, it gets better and I don't mean because you eventually break down and conform. I haven't conformed. I'm nearly sleeved in tattoos (and I'm a woman!), some of the bands I listen to are considered Satanic (even when they're not)...there are a lot more things too, but there's not much point going into details here. Eventually, you will care less and less what other people think. When I was a teenager, I thought I didn't care what people thought of me, but actually I did care. I wanted people to question me. I wanted people to think wrong things about me just so I could prove them wrong...I wasn't doing this consciously. I didn't even realize I was doing it until I thought about how much time I spent getting angry over it. I cared in the same way you're caring right now. When you get older, you actually will stop caring. It won't even be something to complain about anymore.

 

[PureX]

I am complaining about conformity, standards, expectations, and how society expects everyone to look and act alike. I never claimed to be unique and not like anyone else. I just claimed I do not follow the main stream society.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be hard on you. But I am trying to point out that you ARE a part of that society. It's just that you're seeing yourself as a separate and unique part of it, and I'm trying to remind you that you aren't seperate or unique. What you're thinking and feeling are what many o us thought and felt and lived by when we were young. It's just part of BEING YOUNG.

As you live your life, you will change, and many of the ideas you hold now will seem kind of immature to you, later on. That's just the way life is. We live, we grow, we change, and we learn that there is value in conforming. We also learn that being "different" isn't really very important after we pass a certain age and become more comfortable with ourselves.

Thats another thing about society I despice. The older generation, mainly parents, expect thier kids to behave and not do anything thier not supposed to, when the parents will tell thier deliquent stories with pride.

As will you, when you become their age. *smile*

It's all part of the cycle of life. And it's wonderful. As you get older, and learn to let go of your youthful idealism, you'll begin to see how wonderful it all is in spite of the foolishness and hipocracy.

Have faith.

 

[dawny0826]

More specifically, I hate societies preassure to conform.

I'm a Christian but believe it or not...this is something that I too hate about society.

I greatly enjoy being myself

That's an awesome thing and you know what? My hunch is that most of the people who are griping are people who don't enjoy very much being themselves.

I wonder, what is wrong with men who have long hair?

Nothing at all.

What is wrong with people who do soft drugs on thier own time?

I can think of many reasons why people could have issues with drugs. My Uncle is serving time for selling and distributing.

I have a hunch that you're a very level headed human being and use discretion when you partake in whatever it is that you partake in in your own free time but you know...if there are people who have trouble with drugs due to a lot of the uglies that go along with drugs...try not to take that personally.

It's not about you...it's about the drugs that may not be destroying your life but have destroyed and/or negatively impacted the lives of others.

What is wrong with listening to Hatebreed, Manson, Fear Factory, Cradle of Filth, and other very hard, vulgar, profane, and shock groups?

Absolutely nothing.

When I was in high school, my Dad...a pretty conservative dude used to worry about all the music I listened to. When I was in high school...I listened to Manson, NIN, Alice in Chains drool: )...you get the picture. He didn't get it...as I didn't get some of the dorky crap he listened to.

People often gripe about what they don't understand. I'm a Christian and I still rock out. It's not always about the message...sometimes it's just about rocking out.

I say nothing, but I was raised away from the normal crowd, and I don't see thier ways. I laugh at them for spending money on fads, on expensive toys they will want replaced tomorow, and living lives that are void and without meaning, for they live like each other.

And because you say nothing in retort...YOU'RE the better person, here.

Christianity isn't about hate and criticism and unfortunately this is the message that too many Christians and uber conservative individuals give. Christianity is about LOVE. Loving and respecting someone even if you don't agree with what they do.

And you've got a point. Too many live lives that are void and without meaning.

It's a good thing to be an individual. Just know that not all Christian "conversative" types are out to get you or down you.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Well said, Dawny.

:hug: Luke, I wish I could talk to you as someone who's gotten out of caring what society believes. For me, it's also frustrating because I know I'm not cool enough to fit in with the people with the trenchcoats and the tattoos, any more than I could fit in with the other group. While it can be flustering, it gives me the opportunity to see the good in both crowds from an outsiders point of view.

 

[Sunstone]

Most days, I think rebelling against society is pretty much a necessary part of growing up. If you don't rebel against it at some point in your youth, you don't differentiate yourself enough from society to become a socially responsible and conscientious individual later on in life. At least that's my hunch.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Most days, I think rebelling against society is pretty much a necessary part of growing up. If you don't rebel against it at some point in your youth, you don't differentiate yourself enough from society to become a socially responsible and conscientious individual later on in life. At least that's my hunch.

I agree!



Well said!




Just as long as MY kids don't rebel!




So there!



Peace,
Mystic

 

[Smoke]

I am complaining about conformity, standards, expectations, and how society expects everyone to look and act alike.

Everybody has to decide where to draw the line for himself. I don't mind shaving, but I've turned down jobs where they expected me to shave, because I didn't like their attitude, and they wouldn't have liked mine. But do remember that an employer is under no more obligation to meet your expectations that you are to meet his; it's just a matter of finding a good fit.

I do think it's important to find your own way and make your own decisions, rather than just doing what's expected. You'll make mistakes, but they'll be your mistakes. And you'll pay a price for whatever decisions you make, but you'd pay a price if you allowed someone else to make all your decisions for you, too.

 

[Smoke]

When I was in high school, my Dad...a pretty conservative dude used to worry about all the music I listened to. When I was in high school...I listened to Manson, NIN, Alice in Chains drool: )...you get the picture. He didn't get it...as I didn't get some of the dorky crap he listened to.

Wait a couple decades. When I was in high school, my dad complained constantly about the music I listened to. Fast forward: I'm over at my folks' house, and Dad is listening to the Oldies station. I said, "You do realize that's exactly the same music you complained about in the 70s, don't you?" He said, "It's better than the crap that's coming out now."

Nothing can be shocking indefinitely.