Be Brilliant.

Today, instead of documenting one of my college adventures,  I thought I would focus more on one particular class discussion that I found particularly interesting.

In my Political Theory class, I swear that the teacher is off his rocker. He is unconventional to the umpteenth degree...completely idiosyncratic, as he calls it. He even refers to himself in the third person...Laurence Thomas this, Laurence Thomas that.

But his unconventional teaching style (no notes allowed!) also prompts riveting class discussions. Today we focused, for a full eighty minutes, on the definitions between being a conformist and being autonomous.

What I found most interesting is that the difference between these two things is based on a basic survival instinct. Which one are humans more attracted to? Humans have a basic desire to feel no pain, no fear, and no discomfort. It is conformity that provides us a "safety net" from these things, because we are protected by a majority. When you conform, you are not so much following in your own footsteps but retracing others, which sets you comfortably in a position to judge rather than be judged.

Being autonomous should not be confused with being selfish. Being autonomous means taking higher risks, but often reaping a higher reward. We are all conformists until we discover the true act of being autonomous. It goes hand in hand with not knowing what you are missing until you experience it.

When I sat in this lecture an hour ago, it made my head spin. Very strange concepts that I'm not accustomed to thinking about, but valuable concepts all the same. So, as you reflect upon this blog (because I know you all will!) please consider the title, "be brilliant". It's what Laurence Thomas, the professor, encourages the class the be every time we sit down for the lecture.

I think that that simple statement, "be brilliant", is beautiful.