Society is built on the belief that we as a human race have more qualities that tie us together than there are that tear us apart. We build a community around ideas of unity, compassion, and – sometimes – convenience. Throughout history, communities have created social constructs and norms that members were expected to follow. Of course, humans have greatly evolved from the time ankles were taboo and chaperones were required on every “date”. And yet, the world still has rules that we, as active members of the community, are expected to follow. For many of us, it becomes easy to follow the trend-setters, the icons, the rules civilization encamps us with. In fact, we praise people who fit in seamlessly. But how much of society is built on photocopied members of society, and how much relies on the outliers? The game-changing, outside-the-box weirdos? Throughout history, we have relied on people who push the boundaries of what is acceptable, and it remains important even today for us embrace different people.

Although most revere those who fit into the puzzle flawlessly – especially in a society where fitting in has become so important – we rely much more on people who challenge the status quo than we’d like to admit. Those weirdos with the bigger-than-life ideas are the ones that we rely on to drive society forward. Frida Khalo, Emily Dickinson, Lady Gaga, Albert Einstein, Salvador Dali, the list of influential outsiders goes on.

Society relies on people who will challenge the rules because that’s how humanity moves forward. Innovators, inventors, explorers, revolutionaries. All those people who were told that they couldn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t. The ones no one believed in because they seemed crazy or weird or both. Our community would not move forward without people who were willing to stand out, stand up, and change the ways things are. Society is important for our continued existence, but the power of the individual is vital too. Humanity may advance, but it is the people who exist in it who drive it forward.

Movies, books, and TV shows all celebrate the freaky oddballs. The underdogs, the misfits, and the free spirits. However, in real life it’s sometimes hard to appreciate those that look or think different than everyone else. In fact, in reality people who swim against the stream are often the ones who are outcasted and underappreciated. Fitting into the box has become the epitaph of humanity for many, but how can a society stimulate new and diverse ideas when we’re all turning into mindless copies?

We live in a world where we are encouraged to become unique and diverse members of society, but as soon as we become too different, we are labeled as eccentric misfits. We are sending a message: certain quirks are allowed, but don’t become too weird or people will judge you. If you find the freedom to take a stance and be weird, outgoing, quirky self, you will find a way to change your own community and drive the human race in a new and better direction.

Since the beginning of time, individualism has been celebrated by a select few. There have always been those who know the importance of new ideas and different outlooks, but their role in society has often been overlooked. Without other ideas and viewpoints, we would not have become the accepting society we have today and we would be unable to move towards new horizons. So find yourself, however outside the box you may turn out out be, and then find a way to make the world a better place