Are social norms questionable and renewable?
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
My decades of experience push me to be open about the prevailing social norms—not all of them, but many of them. I am adhering to social norms but not keeping myself in the dark on important issues. I feel free to question why something is like this, not otherwise.
I am of the view that originality finds space to surface only when I am bold enough to go beyond social prescriptions.
I don’t need permission to feel comfortable in any walk of life. It is my choice.
I feel free to express myself, even if there is a strong possibility of rejection of my ideas by the audience to whom I address them.
I get uncomfortable for a while, but I have learned that it is the process of creating new norms.
In this hotchpotch, I trust my intuition; that is my inner calling, and this facilitates me looking at things from different angles.
By and large, we abide by social norms. We learn the norms of living as society dictates. Most of the norms were structured long ago, keeping safety, well-being, and harmony in mind. Nevertheless, some of them are not aligned with fast-changing and globally connected social fabrics.
We are all free to think beyond the frame of tough norms.
Oh, my dear, you also have space to make your waves. You need to give up something to go upstream.
Changes happen when you keep your mind open.
When we have a myopia of ideas, it is our fault.
Circumstances are not your code for everything. At the same time, don’t make many assumptions, keeping trends in mind.
Yes, there is space to seek to what extent social norms are supporting all our endeavours toward prosperity and riding on the vehicle of possibilities.
It is also true that there is immense pressure from family, relatives, society, and mentors to conform to their expectations and codes of conduct.
A sensible person finds himself in a tug of going by the norms or daring to be different. They lose their whole time deciding right or wrong from the angle of strict standards.
"Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself." Harvey Fierstein
Social norms are born based on acceptance of any behaviour on a broader spectrum. But they are not beyond modification and, in the extreme, up to rejection.
"Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging dare to be imperfect." Brene Brown
Even today, some professions are tagged for specific groups of people. It may be based on conforming with century-old norms. People are still living in isolated cultures just to protect their social norms.
Going forward, I see that complaining about the world is a sign of stupidity. Instead, explore something new, be it a career, profession, relationship, parenting, formalities, and so forth.
Focus on fair means of achieving big pictures in life, for which there are numerous obstacles in the name of norms and beliefs.
At times, social norms make our lives complex. Find paths to your destination, ignoring the thorns and unfounded social thrust.
Also remember that there is nothing permanent, and you have no control over many regular unpleasant events.
The remedy is to control the "self," though it is partly born and largely controllable. Focusing on yourself will help trace your individuality. At times, there is a clash with social norms while seeking individuality. In this struggle, you may get something that was not even in your dream. Possibly, society will then acknowledge your uniqueness.
The lesson is: Never live up to anyone else’s benchmark.
Learn to use the differences as a way to find renewed ideas that herds overlook.
Experience may not be a guide for the decisions you are making today.
I came to know that a steel bar becomes magnetized not by adding new elements but by having its molecules reorganized. Surely, just by reorganizing our thoughts, we can do wonders.
