So true. This is a nice benchmark of "not to do." 

You don't have to live your life the way other people expect you to.

It's tough. It's the way things are set up. Always difficult to go the other way. But always trying.

What do you mean--the establishment, the flow? You're right. It's tough to be anywhere where there is uncertainty. Action isn't easy, but it's the necessary ingredient. 

I mean it's the way society is set up to operate. From grade-school (sit here and do this) to adult life (buy this type of house with a mortgage and get this type of job). The common way is always the easiest - the path has been lubricated for you. It takes persistent stubbornness to go any other way.

Yes, you're right...I teach, and even in the firestorm of reform, we're not breaking out of "the mold." We're testing, babysitting, supervising, and standardizing, but nowhere in this do we encourage creativity, entrepreneurship, individualization, or anything that truly makes people shine. So, we've basically agreed that the factory model of education has been ineffective, and we're blowing it up and replacing it with--the factory model of education. Except in this manifestation, we're standardizing at all levels, not just students, teachers as well. Hmmmm... let's revisit this in a decade and discuss whether it's been any more effective.