self-reliance

"what i must do, is all that concerns me, not what people think"
-ralph waldo emerson

Ignoring the notion of 'living up to standards', or 'being a part of the crowd, in this quote, Emerson states that it is more important to be true to one's own ideals, and rely on your own heart to lead to. By ignoring the wishes of your own heart, and conforming, one will be led astray in all aspects of life, from mundane details to defining actions.

"a red rose is not selfish because it wants to be a red rose. it would be horribly selfish if it wanted all the other flowers in the garden to be both red and roses" -oscar wilde

Conformity is defined as an action in accordance with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc...

As humans, do we want to conform? In accordance with nature, are we meant to stand out or fit in? We have an instinctive need to be accepted, and belong to a group. By conforming, we are signaling to the group that we are one and the same, and we will obey the group's rules, hereby declaring to the group that we are not to be taken as a threat. By conforming, we gain the trust of the group.

Is it all worth it, though?

Slowly losing pieces of yourself all to be accepted.

"to be great is to be misunderstood" -ralph waldo emerson

Individuality is defined as the trait or set of traits that distinguishes one person or thing from others.

By depending solely on one's one self, the need to conform is lessened. In order to be an individual, one needs to be able to stand alone and resist societal pressures.
Though the pressure to integrate with all of society may be great, the pressure is stand alone is greater. It takes inner strength and courage to be able to stand up for your beliefs and ideals despite the fact that to many, they may be considered "wrong".

Being an individual shows strength of character.

"be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are" - dale carnegie

Rather than trying to conform, one should maintain their individuality. Though being part of a group is a good thing, it is not necessary to always sacrifice everything that makes you you.

Reputation is what others think of you, while character is what you know yourself to be.

Rather than succumbing to societal pressures, maintain the traits that define you, and let friends influence, if anything, only the small things in life.

Photo Credits (from Flickr):
1. Consume Conform Obey - eddiemalone
2. screaming maria - kalandras
3. maids, harajuku - photius drakos