Deviating from the crowd

Human beings are mostly herd creatures. At least I think the majority are. I have a high school friend, Kelvin, who once said to me because he saw that I was beginning to deviate from the crowd. I think Asians in particular may be more uniform beings than, say, westerners who prioritize individualism and independence. In China, for instance, there is a saying that the first person to stand up from the crowd gets knocked down, so it’s better to fit in.

China is a country that I imagine tries to stifle individuality and enforce conformity. That is one of the foundational principles of communism. However, I didn’t grow up in China, and I’ve adopted the mindset that is more fitting of the West because, to be honest, I’ve always found my Chinese family to be a bit bland (It’s the boring ones that last…). It’s not an issue of like or dislike, I just feel I don’t fit in with the them–like I’m just a statue at every family function. And, yet, it is that very feeling of not fitting in that can be such a dangerous one within Asian cultures.