There was a form of philosophy that I learned in junior year of high school called Transcendentalism. It's essentially a middle finger to society's expectations and embraces individuality. One well known Transcendentalist by the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson, has a quote that I remember to this day: "Envy is ignorance. Imitation is suicide."
Although I disagree with some of Transcendentalism's values, as I believe society is an important and necessary part of our lives, I can relate to its individualistic stances a lot. There are people in this world who fail to realize the value of themselves and try so hard to imitate other well-off people that they lose their own persona, their own conscience. I have had times when I felt pressured to stick to society's norms because it seemed I would be an awkward outcast if I didn't. Eventually, I just said screw it and followed my own heart, while maintaining moral decency. It is always important to know yourself more than you know and follow others.
So what are your views on Transcendentalism? Agree? Disagree? Both? I'd love to initiate a philosophical discussion.