An epidemic is spreading. It’s not Asian bird flu. It’s not even a medical issue. This sickness is conformity.Each semester, freshmen join the university circle with high hopes of having a true “college experience.”Four years later, they leave the circle different people. It’s important that students grow and change during their college years. It’s sad when we loose our individuality to fit the culture’s mould.
The problem with conformity is that it leaves behind precious individuality. The purpose of a college education, in part, is to work towards becoming the person that you ultimately want to be. It’s unfortunate when an individual looses their individuality to become what they presume the culture wants. Individuality is the place where we are most happy and complete.Conformity steals that place.
Conformity creates a false individuality. “I’m an individual because I look like everyone else,” is the mantra of this way of life.Look around and you’ll quickly see that this is our way of life. It’s much easier to blend in with everyone else than to be a unique person. Happiness is sacrificed for the false security that is created by conformity.
If college is meant to be a place where you “find yourself,” why is everyone finding the same person? The world expects the same typical behavior from every college student.Surely there is more to our true selves than binge drinking and free sex. Regrettably, that is what our society expects and we happily deliver.
If everyone would be themselves, college campuses would be much more interesting and diverse. This utopia would be composed of less look-alikes and more creativity. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.”