Being unremarkable in a society of extreme individualism can be a difficult thing. Why? Because the individual is such the focus now that anything that does not truly stand out in a way stands out. So the challenge, if one truly wants to go grey, is to just stand out enough to not stand out at all.
An example - not a terribly good one- is the difference of having some facial hair for men versus either having none at all (e.g. completely shaved), or having such facial hair as a beard that streams past your waist. The mean - a beard, a moustache, clean shaven but with a head of hair - will not be remarkable. Kojak or ZZ Top surely will be.
Part of the key here, I suspect, is to essentially create a persona, a way of appearing and acting in whatever and wherever you are, such that you never really appear to be out of the ordinary. For example: In my current job, we all very carefully avoid discussing anything remotely political. Occasionally someone may make a comment and we all laugh, make a smart or sarcastic remark, and then carry on with our business. The only thing that would stand out is if a person actually tried to have a political conversation.
Now, I am sure every person in the room has an opinion. but what become the unspoken code is that every person does not want to be the person that starts the argument, that creates the difficulty - in other words, the person that stands out.
And so it applies to every aspect of the grey individual. Stick out just enough so that you are camouflaged to not stick out at all
TB I see where you're going and agree. But... when human beings go off the deep end, the purges start, and genocides start and mass graves are dug... it often all comes down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The kind of people that do that sort of thing have no problems killing large numbers of innocents to make an impression on their enemies - real or perceived.
ReplyDeleteI am so torn. Part of me thinks exactly like you do. But... there's that contrary, stubborn piece of me that... if the time comes... I fully intend to kill my share of them before they kill me.
Mind you, I am older than you and don't have as much left to lose, I suppose.
Makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteGlen, I find myself torn as well. True, a lot of things happen to people simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time - the victims of drunk drivers for example, or the casualties of 9/11. But sometimes we place ourselves in situations where bad things happen (for example, I live in an urban area right now - not ideal). I cannot control the totally random events; what I control is consciously making myself a target if possible.
ReplyDeleteAs to the second....Miyamoto Musashi would say it is dishonorable to die with your swords in their sheaths.
Thanks Linda. There is always a fine line to thread, between being just unusual enough and being too unusual.
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