In some recent reading of mine (Think on these things by Krishnamurti) the author talks about the 'Flame of Rebellion' that arises in some youth, and how this feeling, this passion to reject the status quo and build a better society gets lost as one ages, especially once someone has children. The essence of his argument is that the more interest you have vested in a way of life, the less open you are to any change to that way of life.
In thinking about this I've realized that my best friend of many years, has lost his flame. This man is my best friend, a brother to me in all things but actual biological relation, and he's fully bought into the system. (It helps his mother works for a US Senator I suppose) He believes, for example, that the current leaders of this country, the P.O.T.U.S. , Congress, etc, are effective representatives of the will of the nation. When I brought up that when many other developed countries representatives fail them in the way that ours did, they fire them all immediately and hold new elections, he thought it was absolutely insane, and laughable. This is just one example but its indicative to his whole way of thinking. In this realization that he has 'sold out' I've noticed it more and more in close friends and co-workers, that very few people actually believe the world could be better.
There are days when I honestly wish I had been born a little dumber. That I hadn't read so much as a child. That I was just a bit less perceptive so that I could just buy painlessly into the system, find an 'adequate' job, marry and 'adequate' spouse, take my medicine and die without much complaint.
To bring this to a question though as I am sort of rambling, How do you keep your flame alive hubski? What keeps you from just 'falling in line' and living life in as much your own way as possible?
Edit*
Thanks for all of the quality posts guys, you've given me a lot to think about. I really appreciate the time and thought that went into the responses.
I don't think I'll ever lose the Flame of Rebellion, because I believe that if you're happy with the way our current society is, you either have low standards--This is an age where stuff like this STILL HAPPENS--Or just don't really think too hard about everything in society that just doesn't make sense.
On another thread of living a Designed Life, I started pondering if my life was designed and realized something: The world is really cruel if you don't fit in or cater to the demands of it.
As a young kid I once had very long hair. Hair longer than most girls. I personally liked having long hair and didn't see the big deal over it. I thought I looked neat with it. However, everyone else seemed to disagree. I was called a faggot, a girl. I was alienated from all of my former friends and harrassed and bullied constantly, by boys and girls. Someone even tried to set it on fire in a Chemistry class once. And the adults weren't very kind either; Various adults either assumed something was wrong with me because I had long hair or did the typical adult passive-aggressive suggestion that I should cut it without saying I should cut it.
I know rebellious teens are annoying, but I just had long hair. I didn't even bother anyone else or get into trouble. At least not initially; Turns out when you're alienated and alone, you tend to find some group that will accept you, and the only group that moderately accepted me was a kind of outcast group; Kids who went to 4chan and laughed at the gore and casual bullying that was rampant in those "golden years" of /b/. I hated them, but couldn't hate them too much, because hanging out with them made me realize that despite being a group of assholes, they were pretty much no different from the other group of assholes, and they talked to me to boot. Not only that, I took a little piece them with me along the way. You can't help it, really.
I went from living a relatively calm and normal life as a somewhat average kid into being directed straight into the other status, and boy were my eyes open and mouth firmly shut.
I don't think I'll ever lose the flames of rebellion, because the flame of rebellion came to me and left its burn forever with me. I didn't want to be outside the status quo, but it happened, and I guess I'm better off for it. I know how it feels to be severely alienated, and have taken a bit of a complex about it, defending people who are often attacked.
It's funny how something seemingly innocuous can drastically alter your life. I often wonder how my life would be if I decided to stick "on-track" as my guidance counselor told me I was supposed to be. My entire life from middle-school to this day has been quite off the tracks of a normal life. I probably wouldn't be here typing this and pondering about this. Such is life.