Rebel
A free thinker.
An identity inhabited by those who believe they possess more value as an individual than as a member of a group.
Someone who is not available for purchase; they must be negotiated with.
Albert Camus claimed that ‘a rebel is someone who says no, but whose refusal does not imply a renunciation.’ He added that rebels ‘are also those who say yes, from the moment they make their first gesture of rebellion.’ Rebels are known to speak out when they perceive antitheses, but this does not mean that they throw out the baby with the bath water. On the contrary, when the tides have turned, they remain vigilant in pointing out where the rebellion has gone too far, opposing the groundswell that may even pay them tribute.
Rebels are not contrarians, although they can present this way, and how they are defined will ultimately be determined by the contexts within which they are saying yes or no.
Traditionally, a rebel would oppose a government, but the modern technological age has introduced so many groups into everyday life that the simple act of independent thought is considered foreign and suspicious. Free thinkers are most frequently made into pariahs or scapegoats; their proclivity to oppose established norms is considered politically inconvenient.
If we have come to a point where simply living freely as an individual is an act of rebellion, then it is time to say no.
See: HERESY
Posted: 29 Dec 2022
