In our culture, there are two main types of people. Those who follow trends and are products of social conditioning and social engineering, and those who think and act freely without feeling the need to conform.
There are “sheeple”, and there are “free spirits”. This doesn’t mean that one is worth more or less than the other. These are simply words used to describe the life philosophy of any given person.
What is a free spirit? According to Merriam-Webster, a “free spirit” is ‘a person who thinks and acts in a free way without worrying about normal social rules’.
A free spirit is one who is free from the external pressures to conform to social norms relating to gender roles, diet, religion, hobbies, behaviours, belief systems, fashion, and forms of entertainment.
A free spirit is someone who just doesn’t care if other people think they are weird. They are more concerned with being true to themselves in any given moment, even if that means doing something or believing something that may go against the grain of their social conditioning.
People who are free spirits tend to be bullied, excluded, and ridiculed a lot for being different.
I was bullied bad for being different and not fitting in, so this article is intended to serve the purpose of allowing people to feel comfortable and confident in accepting and expressing their uniqueness.
1) They spend their spare time in ways society thinks is “weird”
When free spirits have time to kill at the end of the day, they may spend it reading, going for a walk, or doing a spiritual practice such as yoga or meditation.
They may do something like sit by themselves outside for several hours at night just to hear the crickets, write in a journal in a field somewhere, or stay up late reading philosophy.
If it suits their mood, they have no problem spending a Friday night at home alone enjoying some quiet time. In fact, they may even get excited about the thought of doing that.
The average American spends about 4-5 hours per day watching television. A soul that is free from social programming and conditioning may not see value in watching television and may watch next to none.
It just doesn’t serve them because their mind has been freed from the constraints of the herd mentality. In fact, many don’t even have cable or even a television.
When they do choose to indulge in entertainment, they will choose it differently than others.
Rather than turn on the television and watch shows like Duck Dynasty, Toddlers and Tiaras, or some brain-dead sitcom, they will find themselves watching presentations and documentaries to expand their knowledge base, or a movie with philosophical or spiritual themes in it.
2) They use drugs and substances with intention
I am not condoning the use of drugs, but it’s hard to miss the obvious difference between the way drugs are used by those who are free from social programming and those who are not.
When drugs are taken, they are taken ceremonially and with the purpose of expanding one’s consciousness or opening one’s heart. They are used as a spiritual tool and a catalyst for inner transformation.
The choice of drugs also differs greatly. Ayahuasca, mescalin, psilocybin mushrooms and other “medicine plants” are preferred over drugs like alcohol and cocaine.
The choice of drug depends on whatever state of consciousness will best serve to add clarity, enhance reflection, and add meaning to one’s current experience in life, as opposed to using them for the purpose of merely getting intoxicated.
A free spirit maybe see no value in the bar scene or club scene, and would prefer to spend their times letting loose and indulging in substances at a music or spiritual festival of some kind.
3) Reject anything mainstream
Mainstream music is heartless, passionless, and washed up. Mainstream media is polluted, biased, and deceptive.
The mainstream lifestyle is dry, boring, hollow, and disappointing. Even mainstream “fashion” seems unappealing and contrary to your natural expression.
Because you recognize this, you have adopted ‘alternative’ ways of thinking and living that may seen weird to other people.
Personally, I listen to a lot of atmospheric metal and post-rock because it offers me what I desire to receive out of music spiritually.
There is nothing fulfilling about watching the same shows as everybody else, listening to the same top 40 songs as everybody else, wearing the same clothes, having the same beliefs, and following the same trends as everybody else.
And this is because the entire mainstream music industry, television industry, and culture is a scam to keep you spiritually asleep and mentally enslaved to keep you a fearful brain dead consumer.
Embrace your uniqueness, and always give yourself permission to be true to your own unique tastes and preferences.
There is nothing admirable about going with the herd out of fear, and there is nothing fulfilling about living with the desire to conform.
Only those who break free from the mental, emotional, and spiritual chains of social engineering will experience life in the magical way it is supposed to be live.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
