A Proud Intellectual: A Tale of Strange Conformism

Conformism is a weird and tragic beast.

“It is nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.” ~Einstein

I wrote this story out of frustration. I tried to discuss the current situation with some of my goodhearted, well-educated friends. You probably know the conversation… yeah, that one. It made me (first scream, and then) wonder about conformism, courage, and the mystery of life.

Conformism is a weird and tragic beast.

A part of me is compassionate, a part of me is mad, and a part of me just wants to cry into the skies about why human destiny is so strange.

I know conformism! As a kid in Moscow, I was an aspiring conformist. I was in need of love, and I was trying to earn it with obeying the rules and pleasing the adults. It was a lonely time. The adults were broken—but they had the power. Praise for performance was the only currency of love I knew. Then, as a teenager, I rebelled against everything—which felt amazing—but it seems like my reb…