Will determine how far you will go in life. It is a test of one’s character to be standing alone and/or to be not giving in to the peer/societal pressure to conform to the norms (of the majority) and/or to be in minority (today it might not be a good word, but I mean to refer to its original meaning, and not the meaning it has come to acquire over the last couple of decades) – minority of thoughts, minority of conviction and minority of those who are willing to bet their last breath (literally) on their separateness from the rest of the world. It is not easy to see no one behind your back supporting you in your tough times and that you are alone when you need courage and a pat on the back and when falling back on someone else is not an option any more. It is a test of one’s character as it assesses the strength of your conviction and in principles that you are propagating through your life. It is easy to do the easy things and it is difficult to do the difficult things. The character doesn’t necessarily develop over night and it has to be a practice / habit built in right from the childhood – when other kids are watching TV or surfing NET (for some dance shows), you won’t do it coz you are not interested in it and you won’t give in to the peer pressure so that you get accepted in your age group. And then being able to own it up with the friends without blaming it on parents’ discipline or lack of net connectivity or such excuse, is the sure sign of character.

This ability to stand alone is a sign of resilience and it is a sign of being courageous. It indicates that the person is willing to take responsibility of and for his likes and dislikes. It is about the person’s willingness to be easily identifiable in a large crowd, and being ok with it.

As a society, we love to engage in hero/heroine worship – shower great amount of adulation on the reel screen giants. We love to garner them with larger than life respect for things that we know are mostly unreal and make-believe, for things that don’t change our life as such, and for reasons that make no difference to anyone’s wellbeing. However, we are unable to shower similar eulogies on people who dare to be different for reasons that go against the larger group’s belief system.

It is a possibility that people who are comfortable to stand alone don’t even realize that they are standing alone or they are so deeply convinced about their thoughts and principles that they don’t mind being alone. It is also possible that such beings are aware of the enormity of the task of being in a minority and their empathies are with those who are not willing to take a stand. Copernicus took 22 years before he agreed to publish his research findings that earth revolves around the Sun and then 4 more years to submit his paper. There are many such examples that exemplify the ‘power of conformity’ and the fear of breaking away from the normal. Acts of individual courage aren’t easy coz we love to be‘the world’s most excellent sheep’ (William Deresiewicz). As a unit, we are unwilling to imbibe similar comfort in our children / ourselves for being different ourselves for the causes that matter to us.