The most common question I get asked when I talk to people about religion is, “Why are you so attracted to the non-conformists?” I used to receive that same question when I was a convert Christian. Non-Christians were often viewed as people who could not follow Christ. They were sometimes viewed as having abandoned their personal God and turned to a more abstract “God” or “spiritual” entity. People would ask me why I was so attracted to non-Christians and Christians at the same time.
The truth is that people are drawn to things that they do not understand. If you think about it, everything in this life is related to understanding something. People have needs and desires and if they don’t understand something, they find what they need in someone else who does understand it. For example, the need to learn a new skill is fulfilled by people like me who work in education. If they don’t understand the concept of learning a skill, they turn to an authority figure like me who does understand the concept and can teach them effectively.
Understanding something is the first step to happiness and true freedom. In fact, for many of us, our reason for being alive is connected to understanding something. In other words, we are happy if we know what to expect in this life and what is going to happen next. Why we’re so attracted to the non-conformists is because, for us, knowledge plays a very important role in our happiness.
When we know what’s coming, there is no fear because we prepare for it. We don’t feel nervous or shy because we have studied the situation and have ideas of how to solve it. This frees us from the anxiety of what will happen when we don’t adapt. This knowledge also helps us realize that we have an opportunity to learn something new, even if it’s different from our previous knowledge.
You may have noticed that most people don’t know what’s really going on in the lives of others. When we conform, we become part of a group that has similar beliefs and values. With time, people start to think like one another. They begin to see the same patterns in the world and in each other, leading to much greater harmony within their lives. Those who aren’t conforming soon learn that they have to adjust their expectations if they want to live a fulfilling life.
On the other hand, those who choose not to conform soon realize that they have to modify their lives in order to survive in a world where social norm is changing every day. People are becoming more individualistic and self-sufficient. When this happens, it is easier for them to make mistakes, especially in relationships. Those who understand the purpose of being human and fall into the category of “why we’re so attracted to the non-conformists” are the ones who find true happiness in their life.
