The path of nonconformity is alluring to those who don't seek to follow the herd known as a society.
Instead, they want to make unique individual choices in life, disregarding other people's opinions and defying society's norms.
And in doing so, they follow their inner compass, their own definitions of right and wrong, and ideas of what's desirable and undesirable.
However, such a way of life could evoke resistance from one's surroundings and lead one to become a social outcast or get in trouble with the law.
For those reasons, many people prefer to walk in line, exchanging their individuality and independence for the comfortable benefits of conventionality.
Throughout history, several influential philosophers have dealt with the idea of nonconformity, often with unique viewpoints.
One of the most well-known pleas in favor of nonconformity is the essay "Self-Reliance" by transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Another interesting case for those not fitting the norm is Albert Camus' novel The Stranger.
And Nietzsche's concept of the 'overman' (or Übermensch) could be considered a call-to-arms for breaking free from the flock and forging one's individual path.
This video explores nonconformity and the 'loner's path' using the ideas of all three philosophers.
