Non Conformity and Critical Thinking

I think I swallowed a non-conformist ‘seed’ when I was a child.

I learned the Alphabet backward (Z,Y,X,W,V ...) not forward.

I wore a cord jacket to school and not my blazer.

I kicked and punched but then took the fight to the ground.

I travelled east when the east was running west.

There is struggle in non-conformity but there is also discovery and a sense of adventure. 

My father was an autodidact, in that he was able to learn, and learn very well, without the need for formal instruction; at the age of 14 he finished 12 grade and in that year he bested all the teachers in his school at chess - playing 10 different games at the same time. He was highly intelligent and carved out a great life for himself and our family. However,  I only recently learned, he ran away from seminary college (yep) as a 17 year old - bought a leather jacket and a vincent motorbike - and rode north in search of his individuality. That’s when he met my mum - and began to find his niche in the world. It is clear where my non-conformist tendencies come from.

I don’t mind conforming though, if I get a positive outcome - and nor should anyone else. There are circumstances though, that arise from time to time, that cry out for us to stand up, to make noise - to take another view. Something my father told me was this - “If you want to be like everyone else, do what they do - if you don’t then don’t”. Critical thinking.