We're all sheeple...

[Archon14]

But what stumps me is how does one not be a sheep?

Is it by doing what you love instead of numbing yourself with reality TV and consumerism? If so, one could argue that the typical brain dead teenage girl who sucks down alcopops with "the girlz" at the nightclub every weekend is living her life to its fullest.

Is it by consuming media which is deemed as "not mind numbing trash"? If so, who decides this? In the end, what's the difference between the person who watches "The Biggest Loser" and listens to Taylor Swift and the person who watches "The Wire" and listens to Bach?

Is it by creating art? How does even a true expression of creativity differ from all the other distractions the sheeple consume? Best case scenario, the viewer actually considers your artwork and forms an interpretation of what they believe it is about. What does that really achieve?

Is it by rejecting the lies the media feeds us? If so, I ask you how can you tell what is propaganda and what isn't? Let's say you are able to make that distinction and you uncover the grievous injustices carried out by your government, what can you even do with this information?

Is it just by simply rebelling against the powers at be, regardless of how malign they actually are? That's just being another kind of sheep (see: Fight Club).

Not to be rude, but you're assuming a bunch of crap in these sentences, by going from one end to the other like there's nothing in between, don't be so literal. Sometimes people rebel, sometimes lies are found in the media or said by the goverment, and it changes from time to time. We have free will, and we all more or less know what's right and what's not, so this "sheep" condition you speak of is only temporal and/or limited if it even exists. I think it's foolish to assume that everything is perfect/corrupted, that's why we are always somewhere in between.

You also seem to think for some reason that things like art and entertaiment are just a distraction. You ask what's the point of art? Really?

[Mihalik]

Social organization and imitation did a pretty phenomenal job at keep us humans alive and prosperous.

We imitate and emulate each other because it's an innate human characteristic. It's called "learning". Literally every aspect of our personality, existence and so on is learned from other humans.

[Independent voter]

Pick your battles carefully. Why make people mad over things you care little about? If your place of work requires you to wear a suit, wear a suit. Then when the day comes and you have something to take a stand on, something you really really care about, people will take you seriously because you are a serious person.

[Mihalik]

We have free will

I seriously doubt we have free will. At least physics strongly suggest we don't.

[Alydael]

I am really skeptical of the claim Rammestein and System of a Down are Metal. But I will digress...

Human beings by in large do not enjoy actual or radical freedom.

Consider the words of Camus, or better yet, read Camus.

“The only way to deal with an un-free world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”

I have to agree with Fencers about the metal thing... Although System of a Down do have their moments.

It is best to just be yourself. If that happens to be in step with what everyone else is thinking, then so be it. It is not always easy just being yourself, but it will make you happy and satisfied.

[Poopymonster]

You want to be a rebel? Kill yourself. So many people buy into the "life" thing, and go with the flow, not thinking about it or what they're doing. Just mindlessly living.

Flip side!

You want to be a rebel? Live. There are more people dead than alive today. Go against the grain, don't be like them, live.

[Ahovv]

I view "sheep" as those who believe claims without credible evidence. Religious folk fall into this category, along with someone who blindly believes politicians. The Trump supporters come to mind; I wonder if they realize how many blatant lies he has told during his campaign.

[nanook12]

Sometimes I just want to move to a shack on some snowy mountain top away from everybody and thing and just make sense of all of it on my own. Even if it is harsh, it is still a lot better than living a lie in a filthy corrupt society pretending that everything is okay.

[Alefnir]

Pick your battles carefully. Why make people mad over things you care little about? If your place of work requires you to wear a suit, wear a suit. Then when the day comes and you have something to take a stand on, something you really really care about, people will take you seriously because you are a serious person.

This is very wise.

[Jester Joe]

Since when did "sheeple" become people who aren't unique?

I was under the impression it was about people who blindly follow others, not people who happen to enjoy things a lot of other people do too.

Which would make it easy, all you'd have to do is act in your own self interests and beliefs, not others.