TheDiscipleMD
Countless there are, movies, plays, and the like; that tell the exciting and courageous story of the non-conformist who changes everything that is bad about society and it’s accepted mores. Consequences be damned, the story goes! The rebel stands up against all odds and changes the world. The story usually ends with good-feeling music, plenty of tears, nominations, and a slap on the back to the performers.
Yet, as the world spins, today’s non-conformist usually evolves into tomorrow’s conformist, because a new rebel is born who yearns for another change to the norms. Suddenly, the avowed non-conformist discovers that he no longer is a rebel, but simply the latest to fall in line with conformity. This cycle is found over and over in history. It is not always bad to be a conformist; if the cause is right. Rules, laws, regulations, and commandments are in place for a reason; because they have done much good. Sometimes they need to be tweaked and challenged. That’s a good thing! But some of us just take pride in being ‘rebels.’
So the next time we feel the great desire to abandon our values and mores, whatever they may be, maybe, just maybe we should stand back and evaluate our positions based on merit, and its future consequences to the society at large. It can be exhilarating to be a rebel; however, in the end, we will in the eyes of historians, be found on the wrong side of many things according to them; because they are non-conformists and rebels who, generations from now, will judge us according to their times and their values. And perhaps we should be less judgmental of those in history who lived in a different time and age.
Today’s rebel most often is tomorrow’s conformist, and the quicker we realize that fact, the quicker we can evaluate our positions based on merit and not just on our pride and that we love to wear the badge of ‘Rebel’ when there really is no cause.