What is this thing individualism? Why do we celebrate those that stand out from the rest, even as we refuse to accept them? Many argue that as humans raised and felled civilizations, our intellectual and cultural advancements allowed us to appreciate differences. This celebration of differences, and of the individual, is uniquely human. Now, we do not fear predators and so the idea of conformity is largely dated. And yet, society is collective, and we all tend to blend in. It's almost as if being radically different means being put on a pedestal for rising above man's basic instinct, and triumphing over the sea of sheep-like followers.
But if you think about it, why are those artistic individuals so different? What we really celebrate in them is a product not of a unique spirit of creative and social rebellion, but of discontent. The knock-offs are those that follow standards others have set for being unique individuals-they are different for the sake of being recognized as different. The people that have truly risen above their fellow men are often not admired by their peers. They are different because of their discontent with the way things are, and that discontent is not a quality often extolled by the masses.
It isn't the kind of shoes you choose to wear, or the shade of lipstick; it isn't the music you listen to, no matter how obscure; it isn't the era your mind is stuck in. It's how you act on your disgust for the way something is. The true definition of a "hipster" should be "martyr".
Besides, being a part of society is not lamentable. Humans are by definition social creatures, and our heritage is one of collective achievement and advancement. I apologize for previously misusing the word "individual". It is not one who is radically different, and it is not my redefinition of the word "hipster". We are all individuals, and we are all as worthy as anybody. Any one of use can become great. We all love, hate, cry, remember, and above all, we all live. Our outward appearance is a testament to the era we live in, so that future historians can say "ah, the 2010s...an era of consumerism and prosperity. See this Tyler Oakley t shirt? It's a testament to the homegrown YouTube generation, a defiance of the crystallizing Hollywood industry..."
Everyone is inherently different, no matter how much you conform to any given institution. Those others, the martyrs, are never truly appreciated in their time.
"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superiorto your former self." -Ernest Heminway
“The sadness will last forever.” ― Vincent van Gogh
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