Conformity is a part of our everyday lives.

Groups and cliques swarm the school like beehives; blending in is the ultimate goal.

Standing out can prove to be a dangerous experience. Not wearing the same brands, clothes, and shoes as everybody else can immediately make you “weird.”

But why has our society come to this conclusion?

How you wish to portray yourself and your personality should be a choice. You should not be forced into being somebody you are not. Being different should be praised, not looked down upon.

As people attract to those they believe they may fit in with, they seem to lose who they truly are and become who they think they should be. In many recent times, I have witnessed people changing themselves into those they wish they could be simply because the things that make them different have been pointed out by others.

Having different colored hair or a different brand of shoes does not determine who somebody can or cannot associate themselves with. The perplexing passion people hold for finding the differences in those around them confuses me more than many other thoughts that may cross my mind. Why tear somebody down when you are doing the exact same thing to yourself each and every day?

In today’s world, we hear this message all too often in our busy everyday lives, but it never seems to stick with anyone. Others will speak and share their beliefs with those willing to listen, but the messages they try to portray get lost in the crowds and cliques of the world. If everyone knows that it is okay to be who you want, why will society not accept the fact?

Rather than constantly picking out the smallest details in one’s life that makes them different from those surrounding them, why doesn’t society come together to put an end to picking out the bad?

If you look back on all of the moments in your life, it may be much easier to remember that one bad thing somebody said about you rather than something uplifting they once have spoken. People find it so much easier to talk behind someone’s back than to speak to them face to face.

All of the small things that can make somebody’s day may not seem like a lot, but those few kind words could be enough to keep somebody out of the dark.