Conformity/Nonconformity

Throughout history, many have tried to break away from society’s norms in an attempt to live life more fully. Examples include religious, government, and cultural revolutions where people group themselves based on their beliefs in order to create wide-scale change. But I question just how many people in these groups ­really believe in their movements. By no means am I negating the sincerity of the thousands who participated in the peace movement of the 1960s or the punk movement of the late 1970s – in fact, I have come to embrace many of the ethos and philosophies of these cultural movements. However, I am saddened by the number of young people I see who seem to believe that they are “punk” because of the kind of shoes or brand of clothing they wear.

The beliefs of the punk and peace counterculture movements were actually not that different. Both endorsed the idea of living free of ­materialism. Studying these movements shows that their original intent was to promote personal freedom from the establishment. The hippie or peace movement held beliefs that illustrated a sense of freedom in art, music, and spiritual realms. It disapproved of war and the binding nature of society’s ways of thinking. Similarly, the punk movement, which originated in Britain and quickly spread to the U.S., also called for a new freedom. The fast, loud sounds of punk rock seemed to allow nothing but pure energy, creating a type of musical freedom. Punk meant embracing anti-establishment beliefs and ignoring the limitations of conventional society. The basic feel-good nature of the sound and style pulled in youth who embraced the freedom found in the music.

Today it seems as if the original philosophies of these groups have been forgotten. Their historical records were dirtied over time by the stereotypes of non-participant generations and the bias of the media. Youth today seems to look at such movements through commercialized lenses, allowing their understanding of the world to be altered by what is in, popular, or on television.

To me, the clothing and physical or material elements specific to a certain counterculture movement should emphasize its beliefs rather than replace them. Can we really be free if we are worried about reflecting a lifestyle or understanding that we have yet to fully grasp? It comes across as if we are rebelling against something, but what are we truly rebelling against? If we are taking a stand simply because everyone else is, are we really taking a stand? I remember when I was obsessed with the look of being punk. Nothing seemed more important than visually letting others know that I was not like them in a most extreme way. Over time, this has become less critical to me as I have evolved as a person and a thinker. I still believe in the freedom that the punk movement embodied, but I am less concerned with its visual or material side.

I hope that as young people continue to mature, they will come to more fully understand the underlying themes of the counterculture movements, and that living differently means thinking differently. Trends and superficiality are the biggest threats to alternative ways of being.