About this quote

Conformity is a trap we build for ourselves by judging others. When you mock someone for being different, you actually expose your own fear of standing out. Why do we feel the need to police how other people live, dress, or express themselves? Real confidence means letting people exist in their own strange ways without needing to comment on it. It takes courage to stop judging and start noticing your own rigid rules.

When to use it

• In a team brainstorming session, a coworker pitches a bizarre idea that makes everyone freeze. Instead of joining the silent mockery, you back them up because you realize the quiet judgers are the ones killing original ideas.
• Your brother decides to take up unicycling in his thirties, and your family starts whispering about how embarrassing it is. You shut down the gossip by reminding them that being bored with life is much worse than being unconventional.
• You find yourself hesitating to buy a bright, eccentric coat you love because you fear what people on the subway will think. You buy it anyway, realizing that strangers who stare are just trapped by their own narrow rules.