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To be true to yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest achievement. ------- prompt
"The quality of our connections to others and ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives" Anthony Robbins' statement epitomises that that both our sense of self and sense of social integration co-exist. Groups and communities provide human beings with a sense of security, support and acceptance in our lives and by definition we are not solitary creatures. However, with that being said some individuals choose to defy the expectations of our society where conforming may stifle one's true identity and subsequently our identity may be challenged. Anthony Robbins' statement argues that although having a sense of integration towards others is imperative but more importantly is staying true to one's self to the extent where it may be necessary to act in defiance against the oppression of certain groups.
As groups and communities provide us with a sense of security and purpose in life, they are essential as contributing to the social fabric can enhance our self esteem as well as our self worth. However, if groups and communities do not share the same ideas, beliefs or values as an individual, it will become difficult to integrate ourselves into a group. The technology revolution created the internet which can act as a medium for individuals to create a faux identity. Whether it be through forums, online games or social platforms such as Facebook, individuals can create an idealistic yet unrealistic identity which fulfils and satisfies their sense of belonging. In a virtual world, our online identity is much more flexible than our real identity, we can change avatar, race, class, sex and even gender, it offers more freedom in self definition and multiple identities. When individuals choose to not conform to their mainstream social expectations, manifestation in a virtual identity can be somewhat rewarding in contrast to recluse and isolation, although it is undermined by the artificial connection between people online.
However, if we do not fulfil the fundamental necessity for social integration, we may feel isolated from a world in which we share nothing and lose the sense of purpose that defined social roles are able to provide. Authors incontrovertibly write in a way that reveal much about their opinions of the world around them. It often transpires they are at odds with facets of society in which they wish to change and these opinions are engendered within their works. For instance, Carson McCullers in her niche novel "The Member of the Wedding" wishes to convey that being in a state of physical difference deters an individual from establishing a secure identity. The obvious conclusion can be drawn - the character Frankie Addams is an autobiography of McCullers' herself. McCullers' suffered from multiple strokes which left her disabled during her teenage years and resultantly she adhered to the belief "I wish I was anyone else but me". By reverting to literature as catharsis to express her opinions, McCullers' wishes to educate and inspire her audience in an attempt to expose the effects on an identity from the plethora of pressures of mainstream society. In doing so, McCullers' suggests that an individual who define themselves in opposition to societal norms and expectations have experienced the greatest achievement.
The society we live in stereotypes idealistic members of certain groups such as race, gender or class and similarly, they coerce individuals of such groups into following these trends. For example, in Chris Lilley's mockumentary "We Can be Heroes", the character Ricky Wong represents the stereotypical Asian prodigy, genius - hard worker with an IQ level off the charts. Unfortunately this is not the case in reality and such expectations placed on groups from society itself are likely to differ from their own ambitions and values, thereby members of such groups are forced into a world that is constantly trying to make them something else. Furthermore, arranged marriages have become synonymous with the Indian culture as a way of preventing the union between rich and poor families. The drawback in this ideology is that the members of the wedding marry unknowingly to their partners beliefs and values - as such, the chances of not getting on are quite high.
Such a system shows that our familial expectations define our own identity and this concept oppresses individuals into an expectation. Thus, it can be said that individuals who choose to defy such expectations from their groups which have shaped their identities to date, are amongst the most courageous and if successful they have ultimately stayed true to their own beliefs and values.
The nature of the human spirit seeks out those in society who share similar views and ideas as our own. However if individuals do not share similar views to their groups in which they belong, they are pressured into sacrificing their individuality in order to accomplish a faux sense of belonging. It is these individuals who choose to defy their expectations that ultimately have the strongest courage and harness the greatest achievement of all.
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