Outside the box

I've always lived outside the box, any box anyone wants to put me in. I've never fit inside any box anyway, so standing outside a room full of identity boxes is ok with me. I'm not confined to any one and free to wander and wonder, and walk up to any box, look over the edge and see what's inside. And sometimes see how it fits inside.

But then I usually either jump out or get kicked out (see post about being deleted). That's also ok with me. I don't strive in life to be a socially accepted person by any one group's view of members or people. I do strive for a common sense perspective and approach to almost anything.

Note, almost. Everyone has personal issues they're passionate about. I have quite a few issues I'm passionate about, but I've also found that often my perspective is either extreme or out of the normal (box) of the group. And expressing my view also often gets me kicked out of the group, which is what I don't understand.

Why groups discriminate against members seems illogical, despite someone's extreme view with the issues. These people often bring a different thinking and set of ideas, where most of the groups becomes so inbred with their thinking. And it always surprises me when the groups begin some self-analysis after a major setback or failure. What don't they understand the old adage about repeating the same experiment expecting a different result.

I've seen this in the dwindling newspaper business, trying to reinvent itself like all the other failing newspapers, the American auto industry, trying to sell new cars when they haven't improved their reputation, conservative-religious groups, every answer is in the Bible, and so on.

Even the minority groups who feel burdened as victims and have been discriminated against follow their traditional perspective, it's their comfort zone and changing would be seen as heresy, often condeming or expelling members who challenge the status quo, let alone propose new ideas or directions. i've been there myself a few times in my life. Those times had their price and cost.

And during those times I had to decide which was more important, following my own values and beliefs or sacrificing them for being a "team player." I almost always choose the former, and only the latter when the issue was worth negotiating and compromising, even if it hurt a little. The key is your core values and beliefs.

But I'm not talking dogma for those values and beliefs, as is often found in religions. I'm talking basic human values and being a good human being with yourself and others, being honest, trustworthy, respectful, and the rest of the best of being human. That's unverisal and doesn't take anything outside of yourself.

I've wandered a bit, and wondered a bit more, as I often do, just following the stream of consciousness I am. And this post is like a box, I'm both inside writing and outside peeking. And always really outside the box, even looking at myself.