GAMSAT
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Section
II
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Task
B
I would often like to think that we are born in an era where we are bestowed with the gift of the freedom of choice; we are able to diverge from the precedents of conformity and create things truly characteristic of us as indivi individua duals. ls. However However,, this this right right which which we pertain pertain to is not someth something ing that is shared shared in common commonali ality ty with with those those who came before before us; each each and one of us should should consid consider er oursel ourselves ves as privileged individuals, as we are able to govern our own lives in the mannerism which we wish for. I am ever so grateful to live in a time where I am able to showcase my individuality and aspirations, but yet, I would still ponder at times what life would be in a time of total conformity and restriction; a life that is, without any freedom. Growing up, I would always remember myself to be the rebellious child who crazed over the ideas of breaking any rules set against me. At that time, it felt as if conformity seemed like nothing but a conspiracy to strip me away from my individuality and create a clone! of my many other peers. However, with growing age and maturity, I came to realize that conformity shouldn"t be mistaken as a compromise of freedom, but rather a malleable template which aids in in shaping a future of our own. As individuals, we are encouraged to pursue the notion of self#identity and originality but this does not mean that we should abandon and dismiss the values and knowledge of those whom e$isted before us. In our current generation, it seems as if we are perceiving conformity as being that which compromises self#identity and originality. %onformity is not a deal#with#devil, but rather, it is learning to accept and acknowledge the successful events before and work on it to provide something that is improved and in the process self#fulfilling. &owadays, technological and scientific advances are made more fre'uently than what would have been observed many centuries ago; the individuals who contribute to these successes do not dismiss the ideals set before them, they simply add to these ideals and in doing so, create what is truly original. If I were to bring the concept of conformity and originality down to a more microscopic it is evident that we conform to the rules set by our country because we cannot deny the power in which conformity has in bringing order and stability to our daily lives. As teenagers, we conform to the rules set by our schools and parents; although we may be in denial at the time, but as we grow up, we understand that conforming to the likes of law, rules, or education has helped to establish the content and values needed for us to thrive in the future. Although it may seem that conforming to the norms is a mere demonstration of lacking individuality; we should understand, as individuals, we are all entitled to govern a life of our own. (e should not )udge nor condemn an individual for pursuing a life which we perceive as being ordinary; as individuals, our beliefs and values will vary, and it is of utmost important that we learn to acknowledge this inter#individual variability and embrace the differences amongst our peers. *y parents immigrated to &ew +ealand when I was of an age of three years old to pursue a lifestyle which they deemed to be ideal for our family. In doing so, my father and my mother sacrificed many cherished aspects of their lives in order for me to e$perience a well nurtured and liberal life. *y parents have conformed to a lifestyle which may have been initially foreign and abstract to them; they did not resent against such a life, but rather they learned to embrace what was given to them and with that were rewarded with a sense of new founded comfort and happiness.
(e speak of the notions of conformity and originality in a such a commonplace tone that we almost tend to forget how there used to e$ist a time in modern society where people weren"t governed by their own will and freedom. I was always curious yet fearful of how life would become if I were to governed in a such a world where my choices were rehearsed and instructed instructed by the wills of other. other. George rwell"s rwell"s -/0! is a novel which perfectly depicts a life under such circumstances. 1he characters in the novel perfectly illustrate the need for a balance between freedom and guidance; the totalitarian government of the 2ig 2rother! engulfed every last bit of self#identity from its people, leaving nothing but soulless carcasses. Although this scenario is totally hypothetical and fictional, it serves to remind us how we should not pursue any e$tremities, but rather, the importance lies in the fact that we need to find the e'uilibrium to what we desire. 1ill 1ill this day, rwell"s rwell"s depiction of the conse'uent conse'uential ial events events following following a totalitaria totalitarian n dictators dictatorship hip and complete conformity has left in a state of mind where I can appreciate this era which I am able to live in. 3or me, I am still able to dream big and pursue the things which I regard as cherishing and self#worthy, more importantly, I now regard the act of conforming with a new light; by conforming I am not becoming inferior to those with enterprise, but rather I am e$tracting the knowledge of those who preceded me and making making something something that is truly of self#identi self#identify. fy. 4ife should not be lived in a unipolar unipolar manner, we must seek to establish a balance that is tailored to our very self.
