Beware Conformity
Beware Conformity
Tuesday, 12 August 2003
On reading a recent biography of Jerry Seinfeld, continual reference was made to his apparent fear of commitment. In one interview, self-deprecating, he had said it was because he wasn’t normal. Although he was jokingly suggesting he was too weird to be in a committed relationship, his remark was probably truer in a more interesting way - less an issue of commitment and more one of convention I think would be more accurate. Seinfeld was someone then (married now) who by-passed convention to pursue the life he wanted to lead. Early settling might have jeopardised the possibility of a successful career in comedy.
If for any reason you’re not up for conformity you have to beware others coming at you brandishing the convention stick. This is particularly so with relationships where the expectation is usually for exclusivity leading to a nuclear family. This is the modus operandi whether you agree with it or not. Anything other than this will be given a rough ride by those with the commonplace agenda. They will argue for it behind a vale of moral integrity but essentially what it will be is just that, an agenda, less to do with love, connection, trust etc. and more to do with giving someone else what they want. They should be resisted.
Anyone with an ambition that requires single-minded determination should beware conformity. Seinfeld knew what he was doing when he consistently side-stepped.
