Do What You're Told... Or Don't.

When humans became civilized, society rules set in, and things became dramatically more complicated.

Rules came into existence and the people conformed. For those who didn't want to conform and for those who couldn't, well, ultimately, they were doomed. Today we don't think much of these rules because we never knew of life without them. Rules are rules, and that's that.

Women are supposed to be thin and big breasted and men are supposed to be made of muscle. Aside from physical must-haves, the rules never stop. Act like a lady, tuck in your shirt, shave your legs, don't kiss and tell, practice abstinence, don't do drugs, trim your fingernails, eat your vegetables- whatever!

Those who don't follow the rules of society are deemed as radicals, liberals, avant-garde rebels. To some people, this would define you. Others, well, don't really care.

What mostly got me to think about this was when I was bored and started browsing magazine websites. I was looking at the quizzes the website offered, and while some were worth taking, others I couldn't help but laugh at. The specific one I remembered was to see if you're a “goody-good” or “just bad enough.”

Instantly, I started thinking. Who sets the cut-off point for “being bad"? Since when is there a limit to how much you value your morals? Are society rules interfering with our own personal values? If everyone just goes ahead and obeys society rules, then is anyone really unique?

Well, society rules are a burden at times, but also can be a saving grace. Without important rules that most everyone can agree on, like don't pass gas in public and don't talk with food in your mouth, there would be a slippery slope and probably a little too much chaos. In contrast, some of them you really need to sit down and think about. Do you personally agree with the rule, or do you just follow it because you're supposed to? And please, don't disregard your own thoughts because your religion says otherwise.

In that ideology, God gave you your brain to think for yourself. And in a non-religious standpoint, don't always let society, magazines, and other people think for you. Humans can tell themselves all day long there is a certain way to be, but to me, that just can't be true.