...Did you know that? Everyone is special. Especially the individualists. Then again, maybe everyone isn't so special...

As some of you know I sometimes say, although DH denies that he's ever heard it from me, that Conformity is the Downfall of Civilization. I've believed in that for just about 15 years now. That's part of the reason I've never really followed the trends or believed in what's in for 'the season', or fallen into something like the sheeple that are out there (Thank you S, for reminding me of that term earlier from your blog about DaVinci earlier this week. I've always believed that you should be who you are and that's all there is to it. And some folks believe that who they are is defined by what they do, while others is what they wear. Or pierce. Or tattoo.

Well, you know all those self-made rebels who have pierced and tattooed and done all manners of things so that they're not identified with the mainstream? They are the mainstream now. That's right folks, individuality is the new conformity. That individual image that you've worked so hard to cultivate to separate you out from the herd of sheeple is now considered to be one of the sheeple.

Does that mean that you now need to follow fashion or follow the trend to assess your individuality that isn't the type that falls under conformity? No, because that still makes you sheeple. Does that mean you need to get more outrageously different than the rest of the crowd that are already asserting thier individuality? Well... that *could* make you more of a rebel, but eventually everyone will love what you do and follow you eventually, thus making you a trendsetter and the Emperor of All That Is Trendy. Is there a winning solution to this at all? Perhaps, if you just be yourself that will differentiate you enough from the crowd....

...last time I checked that still wasn't in style.

I have a feeling I have more to say on this topic, my brain just doesn't want to say it right now...