We are all part of a community - no matter who comprises or how we define that community. There are community expectations of what is or is not acceptable behaviour. People can choose to conform with those social values or rebel against them. Question:
Is being a conformist an act of selflessness or an exercise of mindlessness. Being a non-conformist - is it being selfish or is exercising independent judgment in decision-making?
Re: Selfish or selfless?
There is no right or wrong answer here...
Conforming to a certain culture without knowing why or how or allowing it impact you negatively is mindlessness. Its sheer stupidity.
Being a non-conformist may get you labeled as selfish but you might also end up leading a richer life.
It all depends on what is important to YOU...the quality of your life or log kya kahenge.
Re: Selfish or selfless?
There is no right or wrong answer here...
Conforming to a certain culture without knowing why or how or allowing it impact you negatively is mindlessness. Its sheer stupidity.
Being a non-conformist may get you labeled as selfish but you might also end up leading a richer life.
It all depends on what is important to YOU...the quality of your life or log kya kahenge.
Re: Selfish or selfless?
My community, unfortunately, has lots of gossip mongerers. So I’m glad I’m a few thousand miles away from them. 
Re: Selfish or selfless?
We are all part of a community - no matter who comprises or how we define that community. There are community expectations of what is or is not acceptable behaviour. People can choose to conform with those social values or rebel against them. Question:
Is being a conformist an act of selflessness or an exercise of mindlessness. Being a non-conformist - is it being selfish or is exercising independent judgment in decision-making?
Not necessarly being mindless if the expectations are considered good and moral.
Same goes for opposite situation.
Independant judgement makes a person smart. Dumb people lack that.
A person has to look at the validity of the expectations.
Re: Selfish or selfless?
The right answer is do what I do. I am neither and both. I am what people call an individual....the shock and horror :p
Re: Selfish or selfless?
Conforming is not selflessness. Not at all.
Hardly anything individuals do is an act of selflessness.
Even conforming is in self interest- people conform when their choices happen to merge with the established ways of the community or when they are not strong enough to make radical choices and stand up to them- the ultimate reason is peace of mind or emotional security for their own self. Hence it is in self interest.
Re: Selfish or selfless?
And...there is no right answer.
Because there is no prototype human whose ways others should follow.