Conformity stifles imagination & limits success, but does it make people happy?

[BlackBagTheBorderBinLiner]

We're in a small market town, lots of local businesses and the sense of social heirachy is strong. It all feels a bit stifling & often not as happy as it should.

Do you live in Ambridge?

What is your AIBU ?

What do you mean by conformity?

It gives a lot of people a sense of security and belonging I suppose.

I think I mean, the middle aged parents generally wear the same brands, the kids do the same clubs. There's a lot of fairly miserable looking kids playing rugby or swimming who'd rather be doing yoga or hill walking.
Lots of mums wearing FatFace & White Stuff talking wistfully about their 'wild' fashion 20s.
The odd rebel is tolerated to a point but only just. Does fitting in, conforming, feel safe because it does n't look happy.

Maybe those are the only sports available. How do you know the kids would rather be doing yoga or hill walking?

As for the clothes...you seems to be sneering at them. What's your style?

OP, it sounds like you should move to a bigger city?

So which of the expensive Suffolk villages do you live in then? I'll take a punt on Woodbridge!

For some people, it does. Keeping up with the Jones, wearing the “right” uniform and ticking all the boxes of doing the “right” activities tells them that they’ve made it, they fit in etc. Where I’m from, making sure your boy-children have longish hair is one of the strongest social statements to make about the tribe you aspire to ;-) it’s part of a uniform.

For others it is stifling. It’s one of the reasons why I left my small village and now live in a big, anonymous city.

Are you the rebellious one?