I have been one of those people who always had a crush on non-conformists (err, and vice versa never happened!). Yeah, they are the ones who do not follow society’s rules and follow their heart. I admire people who choose their queues, routes, people, partners, careers, and life choices. Yes, this list is endless! These people stand out from the crowd in physical appearance and thinking. If you walk into a crowded party room, you can notice them instantly. They will also be the first to discuss with you and lead a date.

This is what your non-conformer date will be like

• Loves to do crazy things impromptu and is spontaneous
• Someone who has chosen an off-beat path – education/job/career
• Taken a road that none have taken before to reach a destination
• Has a quirky sense of humour
• Whose idea of a date is a trek/hike/spending time in noble causes together/a road trip
• Deals with conflicts and crises in a relaxed, unconventional style
• Has a unique dressing style and stands out in a crowd – loud and outrageous to subtle outrageous too
• Who rebels openly
• Flexible and open-minded to unpredicted situations
• Unplanned yet logical
• Honest to the core
• Unafraid to be their raw, genuine selves
• Loves new creations

So, if your answer is “yes” to all of these or even most of them, you are romantically attracted to non-conformists – those not following conventions and rules of society and are one yourself too. They love being themselves without feeling the need to justify or explain themselves. You may be one, too, just like I have been. But unfortunately, most of society still doesn’t accept non-conformists.

A non-conformist is “a person who does not conform to prevailing ideas or practices in their behaviour or views.” For example, recent studies and research have found that people prefer “bad boys or girls” to be sexy and attractive, making them prospective dates and partners. So that is the label for a non-conventional person who does what they feel is right. 

So how do you identify a non-conformist? Sometimes it is by their appearance, clothes, attitude, gait, behaviour, friends, hobbies, and the career they choose. 

A disclaimer here: Following are general traits of non-conformists. They aren’t written in stone. Some of them are the traits I have observed (gender no bar, sex no bar). You may or may not relate to these. 

Clothes 
This may change from individual to individual. Mostly, you may find them pairing unique combinations of clothes. In short, they have their individuality and the style of dressing, their way of paring  

Hobbies 
Most love travelling, meeting new people, photography, writing, art, craft, etc. They are also mood-based in pursuing their hobbies. They love multitasking a lot.

Attitude 
They cannot stand silent witnesses to any injustice happening around them and will raise their voices verbally or silently. For instance, vocal on public platforms or and social media, they don’t shy away from being honest. They are also highly confident about themselves. Attitude speaks louder than words.

Motivational 
They love pushing people to do better and make intelligent choices (read: different or unconventional). They are great public speakers as well. They also only linger a little bit on failures. Instead, they keep trying to improve each time to reach their goal. They have a clear blueprint of how they want to be without following the bandwagon or getting influenced by peers/family/society.

Work/Profession 
Entrepreneurs, photographers, social workers, artists – fine arts and visual arts, and writers are the most common fields they choose. However, there can be others as well.

Activists/Change-makers 
They will take the lead to start a new revolution or bring changes to the existing systems around them.

I say, “to each their own and their choices,” always follow your heart and be a non-conformist! Signing off with this beautiful quote “be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t.” A non-conformist once is one forever!