It’s hard to go against the current in society. It’s hard to listen to your heart and go in the direction you truly believe is best.
Modern American society is great at discouraging individuals from being different. Cultural reinforcement of the norm has never been more pervasive. It’s ironic when you consider how we celebrate the great individualists of the past: Henry Thoreau, Susan B. Anthony, Teddy Roosevelt, Jane Goodall, Steve Jobs, Diana Nyad. In every area of life, we hail the men and women who swam upstream when the world went downstream.
To begin the journey, one important step to take is to turn down the behemoth reinforcements of the social current: television & social media.
If Thoreau were alive today, he could create his own personal Walden just by putting his iPhone in Airplane Mode.
Only disconnect and you’ll gradually build the strength to swim against the current. Get strong enough, and who knows where you’ll end up.
High school students: I am talking to you. Right now you are developing lifelong habits, so unplug and figure out what you want them to be. It will never be easier to change course than it is now. The current flows ever faster.