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| Will you go your way, or their way? |
I
remember reading Albert Camus, The Outsider, about a man who losses his faith
in God, kills a man and is executed for it. But the story isn't as
straightforward as it seems, he’s offered a reprieve if he weeps for his dead
mother, but because he doesn't express what is expected of him, and doesn't
renounce his atheism, he’s executed.
Social
convention dictates that we must behave as we’re expected to - cry when we’re
expected to and laugh wherever there’s meant to be laughter. We must all play
the game at some point in our lives in order to survive. But if we ever defy
convention, if we ever rebel against the norm, fight to express our feelings in
a different way, there is a heavy price to pay.
For
those of us who aren't able to express our emotions in the way society expects
us to – we pay a heavy price, regardless, of whether we deserve it or not. Man
needs this so that when he looks in the mirror, he sees what he expects to see
staring back at him. He cannot be confronted by something he does not recognize.
He should be able to second guess you and even if he fails, you must play the
game and pretend that you are that easy to read, you must be an open book for
all to skim.
For
those who know how to play the game they’re safe, they’ll sail smoothly through
life, but for those of us who aren't or won’t – they’ll have an unpredictable
and stormy path ahead.
Society is only for those that can conform to what's demanded of them, for
those that can play the game and play it well. For those of us who refuse, or are unable to abide by the rules, will pay the price at some point in our lives.
