2 May 1957
With Lydia on drama – she don’t [sic] like it! Especially modern musicals – “Guys and Dolls”. – Movies she likes.
Conformists – who live entirely to the public conscience – don’t have much fun. They live in a narrow world. They cluck over nonconformists to the public will because, underneath, the conformists suspect they are missing something – they are not living their own lives – they are living someone else’s version of what is the proper life. No fun!! Because they are not true to themselves and are trying to live in a narrow tightly bound world untainted by the opinions of 10 other people!
Marge and Roe seemed to want to see South Pacific because everyone wanted to and tickets were scarce – it was a triumph – a badge of social success for them.
How much of their interest was really – how much the sense of difficult-to-attain social distinction?
In certain respects, for the protection of life – we must all conform – but beyond basic essentials of food, shelter, law, . . . life is what you can make of it.
The more interests you have – the more adaptable to society you are – the more knowledge of variety the more you are interested in and, because, interesting. Who wants to see always nothing but the newest in stoves or refrigerators – what a narrow outlook!
The world is full of variety – yet most people see little, almost nothing of it. They are lost in contemplating refrigerators and stoves exclusively, daring not to take their eyes away, for fear the newest model stove will disappear.
