Wednesday 13 February 2008

On Non-Conformists

I've been thinking about non-conformists, on "thinking for yourself". (Does anyone think it's ironic that I'm thinking about "thinking for yourself"). The thing is, you get a non-conformist and another non-conformist, and they... tend to think an awful lot alike.

Take any "issue". I'll take something that won't have me lynched. Our recent election here in Australia. All the time up to the election we were hearing how Howard did x and Howard did y, and then would you believe he did z?! I'm not denying that he did x,y, or z. I don't know, I don't care, and that ISN'T MY POINT! The point is that everyone had the same arguments. Howard is a racist, he's a mysogynist, he's a homophobe, etc, etc. And it was time for a change.

These people who criticed Howard all claimed to be independent thinkers, but their thoughts were exactly alike. He won't say sorry. He won't give bigger maternity leave. He gives money to private schools.

Comparatively little was said about Rudd. But don't worry, wait a little and the non-conformists will all get their thoughts together (pun intended) and find the things that are wrong with him. (He's not doing enough for the environment...)

It's like a bit in a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie I saw once. (I know, I know, but I was ironing and there was nothing else on.) They've gone to Australia for some reason, and they meet a group, I think they were even CALLED the non-conformists. And they all had straight dark brown hair in the same hairstyle, with the same glasses. They were introduced, "This is Sheila, and this is Sheila, and this is Sheila, and this is Hannah..." "But my friends call me Sheila."

I suppose what I'm getting at is that really, none of us are really independent thinkers. Sorry, but you aren't. Don't worry, I'm not either. The thing is, who's thoughts are we thinking? Is our every thought submitted to Jesus, or do our thoughts go straight to the thoughts of the "non-conformist" world? Is our thinking centred on the Bible, or on what sounds good?

No comments: