The inundation of media poses a threat to one of the essential qualities that makes humans human: individuality. To be fair, the individual has always struggled to survive the herd (to paraphrase Kipling); but in many ways mass media make this quest even more difficult. Today we’re endlessly bombarded with messaging, imagery, and ideology fighting for our attention, minds, and wallets. For many it’s exhausting, confusing, and anxiety-inducing. Perhaps the worst part is that many individuals feel they have no choice but to follow the herd.
Here are 21 quotes on conformity and nonconformity that reveal the struggle to and the importance of remaining free in our own minds.