From an early age, many of us were taught the importance of “being yourself.” Do not do things because of others, learn to think for yourself and stand out- be different. Society always stressed the importance of individuality. What is it exactly? By definition, individuality is the interest of an individual that’s distinguished from the interests of the community. (dictionary.com) However, I truly believe that individuality isn’t just that. It’s a way of life- living the life the way you want to live it, genuinely not caring about what anyone else thinks of you. Not only that, it’s also a matter of perspective, how you perceive things as well as others. In school and on television, this way of thinking was implemented into our minds for as…show more content… True individuality was not just making a couple of decisions on your own and considering that being “different” from everyone else. True individuality was living the life the way you want to live it, not living the life the way you’re expected to or not caring about what anyone else thinks. For example, in the story of “Where Men Win Glory”, Pat Tillman lived life differently than those around him and what was expected of him. Being an NFL football player, it was assumed that he would be like the rest of his teammates that lived a life of luxury. However, Tillman wasn’t like that and instead, he lived a very humble life and didn’t care or need the extravagant things that his teammates needed. Not to mention, he made decisions based on what he believed was right, not what everyone else thought. Tillman ended up quitting his NFL career to enlist into the Army. He didn’t do it because everyone else was doing it, he did it because he wanted to. None of his teammates wanted to leave the team to risk their luxurious life on the line, but he did. Additionally, of all the different positions Tillman was able to get, he chose to be on the front lines. With his college degree, he could have easily gotten a high ranking officer position that would not only ensure his safety, but still give him the bragging rights that he quit his career to fight for the nation. However, Tillman did not do that. He chose to be apart of the Rangers to fight in combat, something that none of his teammates would have done, but he did.
