The Fitting Phenomenon

Change they say is constant, but the need to constantly reinvent one’s self seems a long shot for a lot of people. The power of influence is to say the least quite intoxicating, only to those who are open to it of course. Not very many people are easily coerced into fitting with the norm of society; most use religion as an excuse, others seem to believe that after a certain age one should be wise enough to know that they don't need to act a certain way just to fit in - well, they are both right in their own regard.
I never try to understand the motive behind those who use religion as a basis for every other choice they make; I also never try to understand the sentiments of those who believe they do not need to flow with the ever-changing tide of society. That said, I do believe however that in order to stay connected in the real world, one has to be able to blend effortlessly and subtly into certain aspects of the larger eco-system.

The man who intends to make his fortune in this ancient capital of the world [Rome] must be a chameleon susceptible of reflecting the colours of the atmosphere that surrounds him - a Proteus apt to assume every form, every shape. He must be supple, flexible, insinuating, close, inscrutable, often base, sometimes sincere, sometimes perfidious, always concealing a part of his knowledge, indulging in but one tone of voice, patient, a perfect master of his own countenance, as cold as ice when any other man would be all fire; and if unfortunately he is not religious at heart - a very common occurrence for a soul possessing the above requisites - he must have religion in his mind, that is to say, on his face, on his lips, in his manners; he must suffer quietly if he be an honest man, the necessity of knowing himself an arrant hypocrite. The man whose soul would loathe such a life should leave Rome [Earth] and seek his fortune elsewhere. I do not know whether I am praising or excusing myself, but of all those qualities I possessed but one - namely, flexibility.
(MEMOIRS, GIOVANNI CASANOVA, 1725-1798)

It is a natural response by some to want to go against certain ideologies that seem unreasonable, ideologies that may have become an integral part of the system within which we reside. The implication of this however does not hit us all of a sudden, it tarries a while, providing us the opportunity to either compromise or settle - and many a time, the generally accepted and obvious option is compromise.
For the strong-willed, ethically driven and/or opinionated individual, not accepting roles foisted by society is always the only option. Choosing this option enables them to re-create themselves by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Being the master of ones image makes one stand-out and seem larger than life, the negative effect of this however is quite grave. Standing out will open doors to criticism, judgement and envy, unless this person is the kind who does not mind being at the centre of negative attention.

I looked in the mirror one morning to discover my hairline was in recession. I said to myself, "What on earth?" So maybe I shouldn't have acted too surprised, it was common occurrence in my dad's side of the family - my dad was however the only exception among his brothers, all of whom had some form of hair loss - I just assumed since he was lucky to miss it, I was to share in that luck or at worst, I would have my hair loss start at no age less than forty. I was so wrong.
I had to make a choice. Do I rock a skin cut look at an age when I should be experimenting hair styles like every other guy my age was doing and risk my shining bald look being an attention grabber? Or do I keep working styles to fit around my receding hairline, which will also get another form of attention from those who notice?
I chose the former, and yes I stood out, probably because bald is not 'fancy' or 'contemporary' by society standards - after a while, I guess I didn't take notice of the stares anymore.

That analogy is nothing compared to what we have to face in society regarding acceptance and perceived standards. Giving ourselves enough wiggle-room to make changes and amends to our inherent traits is really quite necessary. It is not about fitting in altogether but understanding that we must be fluid; learning to play many roles and be whatever the moment requires, adapting our masks to the tide of things. Being susceptible to change in society is not evil, it proves acceptance; and if one must be accepted, he must be accepting.