I have never been one much for jumping on the bandwagon. I am not a follower of trends or fashion. I will admit to being a bit hesitant to adopt new things or ideas. I believe that is because I give thought to things before I try them. I just don't jump right in. Some may see this as a sign of weakness or bring timid, I think it is just prudent. Look before you leap is my attitude. There are things that perhaps I miss out on and that is fine with me. To others it may appear that I lag behind. You could make a case for that but another adage applies here, better safe than sorry.
This hesitation to jump on the bandwagon extends to social issues as well. I am not one to just throw my support behind any new philosophy that comes along. I am a traditionalist. If I find nothing wrong with the " old " way I will not adopt a " new " way just for the sake of being current. I would say that I am self assured. I do need to guard against being smug at times, especially when these " new " policies fail. I am not prone to being a parrot. I find it annoying when trying to discuss a subject with those that only want to repeat whatever they have heard.
This propensity has often affected my social life. I like what I like and will not try things publicly and embarrass myself. At least that is the way I have always felt about it. I'm quite sure this was a result of my upbringing. Mom and Dad were not what one would call liberals. I grew up in the sixties. I did not however dress like a hippie, or flower child. No long hair for me and no clothing in the latest fashion. " you ain't going out of my house looking like that " was often heard. When I earned my own money I was free to buy whatever I wanted but by then the mold was cast. Oh, I have occasionally broke free of that mold but was never comfortable afterward. I revert back to my default mode.
I do believe that your core values are formed in your early years. These values are ingrained and reflect the values of your parents. Personality has little to do with values. Your personality develops as a result of your experiences. As a child I was rather small in stature compared to my classmates and more importantly as compared to my brothers. My reaction was one of defiance, I became " scrappy ". Whenever possible I challenged those brothers of mine on an intellectual level. I felt I had an even chance in that area. I embraced the fact that Mom and Dad wouldn't allow me to dress and act like the " cool " kids. I made that look mine. Often I explained why " my " choice was the better avenue to take.
I will say this, new isn't always better. Change is not always a good thing either. I require a bit of evidence before buying into things. I am not afraid to speak contrary to current ideas if I feel justified in doing so. If I feel something may be harmful I will speak out. I will adopt new things given time. I do not want to look like a fool. Tried and true is what I like. I also believe in standing firm in my beliefs. I don't change my opinions easily. I am quick to form an opinion and that is a fault. I am aware of that and am working on it. I also don't want to sit on the fence too long regarding things. Do your business or get off the pot ! That is what I was told. The most important thing to me is individual thought. In order for me to change my mind a good case has to be presented. Simply repeating the words of others is not good enough. It may make you popular and seem " informed " but only to those that are part of the crowd. Trends and fashions change but I believe you should not change your values as easily, even when those values are contrary to popular opinion.
This hesitation to jump on the bandwagon extends to social issues as well. I am not one to just throw my support behind any new philosophy that comes along. I am a traditionalist. If I find nothing wrong with the " old " way I will not adopt a " new " way just for the sake of being current. I would say that I am self assured. I do need to guard against being smug at times, especially when these " new " policies fail. I am not prone to being a parrot. I find it annoying when trying to discuss a subject with those that only want to repeat whatever they have heard.
This propensity has often affected my social life. I like what I like and will not try things publicly and embarrass myself. At least that is the way I have always felt about it. I'm quite sure this was a result of my upbringing. Mom and Dad were not what one would call liberals. I grew up in the sixties. I did not however dress like a hippie, or flower child. No long hair for me and no clothing in the latest fashion. " you ain't going out of my house looking like that " was often heard. When I earned my own money I was free to buy whatever I wanted but by then the mold was cast. Oh, I have occasionally broke free of that mold but was never comfortable afterward. I revert back to my default mode.
I do believe that your core values are formed in your early years. These values are ingrained and reflect the values of your parents. Personality has little to do with values. Your personality develops as a result of your experiences. As a child I was rather small in stature compared to my classmates and more importantly as compared to my brothers. My reaction was one of defiance, I became " scrappy ". Whenever possible I challenged those brothers of mine on an intellectual level. I felt I had an even chance in that area. I embraced the fact that Mom and Dad wouldn't allow me to dress and act like the " cool " kids. I made that look mine. Often I explained why " my " choice was the better avenue to take.
I will say this, new isn't always better. Change is not always a good thing either. I require a bit of evidence before buying into things. I am not afraid to speak contrary to current ideas if I feel justified in doing so. If I feel something may be harmful I will speak out. I will adopt new things given time. I do not want to look like a fool. Tried and true is what I like. I also believe in standing firm in my beliefs. I don't change my opinions easily. I am quick to form an opinion and that is a fault. I am aware of that and am working on it. I also don't want to sit on the fence too long regarding things. Do your business or get off the pot ! That is what I was told. The most important thing to me is individual thought. In order for me to change my mind a good case has to be presented. Simply repeating the words of others is not good enough. It may make you popular and seem " informed " but only to those that are part of the crowd. Trends and fashions change but I believe you should not change your values as easily, even when those values are contrary to popular opinion.
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