Positive Defiance

 

The word disobedient has a dual meaning. Traditionally, it is often considered a negative word and is associated with bad consequences. On the other hand, I argue that disobedience can be good and necessary; it is how you learn and grow from what is right and wrong. By going against the order of things you have a different perspective while also seeing the consequences.

I had been a rule follower for almost all of my life until I learned the power of disobedience and began to question the stereotypes that I confined myself to. I had always loved sports and non “traditional” girly things; as I grew up I felt pushed into and confined by the role of being a tomboy. When I was young, the idea of loving sports did not seem like a part of a stereotype, just something that I enjoyed. Every afternoon after school I would spend hours throwing the football, catching the baseball, and playing basketball. While these are male dominated sports, the idea never stopped me from enjoying them. 

As I grew older, the stereotype became much more than just an idea. It became a role I had to follow. I confined myself to a tiny box, when in reality people can’t be defined by one piece of their identity. I shied away from nail polish, dresses, and high heels because they did not seem to fit with my ideas of being a tomboy. I never understood why they did not, but subconsciously I detested them. Individuals are like a puzzle with many interlocking pieces that make them who they are. A puzzle is not complete without all of the pieces and cannot be completed with just one piece of many.

As I entered high school,  I wanted to be known as more than just a piece of who I am. I decided to not just follow society’s standards for tomboys and decided to blaze my own path. I started to explore new clothes, new clubs, and be more open with myself. I vividly remember being so excited to shop for a homecoming dress, something that I would have actively avoided in the years prior. Through the disobedience of the stereotype that I had envisioned for myself, I could make any choice that I wanted. In that moment walking around the store I felt as though I was defying the tight grip that society had on my mind. I had always thought it would be scary to step out of that box I confined myself to when in reality it was freeing and opened a whole new side of life to me. 

 By defying the typical narrow minded mentality of society, I was able to see that not one idea could define who I was. Growing up, I was the one who confined myself while being a puppet of society’s standards. One could attribute the need to obey as a developmental process. From an early age we are taught to obey our teachers, parents, and elders. With the powerful, persuasive voices of the media and society, who could disobey their narrative? I defied the expectations I had set for myself. I explored more interests and became more comfortable with myself. With a shift of mentality, I began to put the pieces of my puzzle together and become who I am today. As I continue to grow, I continuously build upon who I am. This shift in mentality can be considered disobedience due to the fact that I went against the flow of society’s ideals like a fish swimming upstream.

 It is necessary to be defiant in order to grow and that is seen throughout life. Fish defy the current of a river to ensure the longevity of the next generation.  Individuals defy what is standard to find who they are. It is a natural feeling to defy: one that is built into nature and necessary in order to grow and thrive.

The disobedience to question stereotypes is meaningful and legitimate at a personal and social level. The disobedience is legitimate because humans have this innate feeling to question everything and disobedience is just questioning what is considered standard. In a world with an unjust standard, disobedience can be taken negatively. It is justified because one cannot grow without learning more. At a psychological level it is healthy to disobey. If you do not question what is presented to you, you are trapped within the ideas given. Disobedience is meaningful because by going against what the majority thinks, it allows you to establish meaning in your beliefs and priorities. By being defiant, you can grow as a person and look past the ways that others define you. 

As we all know, actions come with consequences. In relation to defying stereotypes, there are good and bad consequences. From the negative point of view, by questioning and defying stereotypes it establishes you as someone who rejects society as a whole. This negative form of thinking is just a way to keep individuals from looking beyond what society types them as. This way of thinking is used to turn individuals away from questioning the stereotypes, but in reality it reinforces the necessity to do so. New discoveries and ways of thinking were not created by those who followed the constrictions of society. The brave thinkers defied what was considered standard to learn and grow. While the thinkers were once deemed illogical, they are now praised for fueling the growth of society. Amelia Earhart defied what society assumed of her by becoming a successful pilot. She shattered expectations by achieving a new altitude record of 14,000 feet for women. One of her most profound achievements was becoming the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo (Michals). A good consequence of defying the standards and questioning stereotypes is that you see the world in a different light. Different perspectives allow individuals to see others in a different way and also recognize what can be changed for the better. 

While there are costs of disobedience, it is imperative. Disobedience has a negative connotation, but without it personal and social growth cannot be achieved. One can only grow by seeing different perspectives and reflecting upon them. 

 

Works Cited

Michals, Debra. “Amelia Earhart.” Womenshistory.org, 2015, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/amelia-earhart. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.