Have you recently experienced the intense pressure of current “groupthink”? It seems so many topics (once considered personal decisions) are now subject to invasive demands that you just go along and accept what you’re told. They say, “Conform for the common good! Accept that you’re thinking is “good” or “bad” based on what the loudest group currently values.” It’s important to ask yourself why “The Group” is so against you standing out. Is there any belief so sacred that it can’t survive some healthy debate? Is the actual truth so fragile that it can’t withstand our considering the facts that actually make it true? Let’s talk more about the art of standing out from the crowd, even when groupthink demands otherwise.

Standing Out Can Save the Crowd

The art of standing out from the crowd on important topics seems to be fading. In fact, standing out is rarely viewed as a strength these days. Unless you’re looking for a job or competing with others for a limited number of spots at your current employment, taking a different view or looking at a situation from a different perspective is often strongly discouraged.

“Wait a second,” you say. “What if I truly dislike standing out? What if being noticed makes me feel squeamish?” I get it. Some people are hard-wired to prioritize the community’s needs over their own. Living in a synchronistic manner is important to many. It’s also important that we differentiate between our lifestyle preferences and our ability to distinguish ourselves from the group. We’re not talking about being a good citizen or valuable team player. We’re talking about our ability to proudly distinguish ourselves from the rest of the world — to think and behave independently regardless of whether the rest of our community agrees or disagrees.

• Remember this eye-rolling question posed to every teenager that ever lived: “If everyone else jumps off a cliff, are you going to as well?!” I’m sure you know there’s a reason your parents asked you that age-old question with deep concern in their voice.

It’s hard to deny that taking the contrary view is getting really difficult – especially if you tend to share many of the same perspectives with the very group pressuring you into conformity. But standing out in this way is sometimes the necessary stance when you sincerely care about your fellow man. It can be essential if the group’s thinking is no longer based on truth. I’m talking about the kind of truth that doesn’t change from one day to the next or shift based on a person’s experiences or subjective perspectives. I’m talking about the kind of truth Dr. Lincoln has been unpacking in recent posts. In this case, standing out may be the very thing that saves your community from actually going off that proverbial cliff.

Standing Out Means Leaning In

In “Straight Thinking Tells the Whole Truth,” Dr. Ray Lincoln encouraged all of us to make sure that our facts are truly facts, not simply opinions that have been repeated so often with emotional power that they become “facts” in people’s minds. That’s excellent advice, isn’t it? This standard for the whole truth shouldn’t apply just to your worldview and general belief system. It must also apply to your own self-worth. Having true confidence in your own value translates into the confidence you need to stand out when it matters most.

In other words, to stand out, you must lean in. Lean in to your God-given, highly valuable inner design. Understand and appreciate the details of what makes you unique. Discover just how valuable your individual perspective is to the collective group around you. Then actually offer that perspective. It just may be the missing piece the group needs for a more complete picture of truth and reality.

The Whole Truth about Yourself

Don’t let your ability to stand out fade away. Lean into the whole truth by discovering the truth of who YOU are — the “Real You” — and who your children truly are, as well as how to best engage your children in finding the whole truth.  Our team at InnerKinetics is ready to provide that help.  If you’d like some assistance, you can request a consultation and an InnerKinetics consultant will call you to answer questions and schedule your meeting. Schedule an Initial Consultation. If you are more independent and want to cut to the chase, you need not wait for a call back because you can get answers to your questions and schedule your session HERE.