"To each their own" ....???

Ever since I can recall, ‘to each their own’ was the motto for life. In my teenage years (7 or 8 years ago), I was adamant that each and every person be allowed to fully express themselves as an individual (specifically me) -- and the ability to do so was an inherent and inalienable right of each individual, just like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

- I live how I want; you live how you want. And if you don’t like it, well... tough shit.
- Don’t tell me how to live my life, I won’t tell you how to live yours.

Going about my daily routine meant encountering and dealing with other individuals who disagreed with my choices, actions and behaviors; likewise, it meant a willingness on my part to represent and defend my choices, actions and behaviors. It was me against the world!! I fought to maintain my ‘individual island’ status.

Now I’m dealing with what I call ‘reverse-Atlantis’ syndrome -- the land has risen up around me and my island. ‘Risen’ is the wrong word. Since birth I have been a part of this land (society), but I did not see myself as an active participant. (Admittedly, this realization has not instantaneously transformed me into an active participant; however, now I am aware of and mildly discontent with the inconsistency. Enough to turn on the motto that raised me...)

The statement “Don’t tell me how to live my life...” catches my eye. I think that that statement, in and of itself, is correct. I do not think it correct to merely state a rule or principle without also stating the reasons behind that rule or principle. It is unfair to tell me what to do, without giving me ample reason why I should do it.

With that said, it occurs to me that ‘to each their own’ does not require the individual to assess the reasons why this or that action or behavior is enacted -- it simply allows the action or behavior to be done.

To what extent may this motto be employed and allow the individual to be morally consistent?

I get the feeling that I must discard this motto. It works for the small, sociall insignificant things (like what hair-style, or lack of style, I choose), but I’m unsure that it can work, or works the best, when in a social context. (Seeing that many have refuted Nietzsche, I’m fairly certain that the motto is not necessarily im-moral, but rather anti-moral.)


The land has risen around me and my island, demolishing the oceanic boundary between me and everyone else. Stubbornly, I marked my territory, and have sat on the fence, observing society from a safe distance. Now... now my butt hurts, and the fence seems without purpose. The only reason the land exists is because other people melded their islands together... and the only reason I was allowed an island was because society gave me that option.

I worry about being Good. But, how will I ever know whether or not I am Good if I rarely interact with people? If I sever them from my island, from myself?