It ain't wrong to be different

I have mentioned Mark Penn, the American polling analyst, plenty of times on my blog. His book which I am reading is Microtrends. Microtrends are to be differentiated from Megatrends, because they are not mainstream culture (yet). America has a population of 300 million, so even 1 percent is equivalent to 3 million people. And in many cases, their numbers are rising.

In the first chapter, Penn writes about single women. According to Penn, there are more women than men in the States, and there are more gay men than lesbians. As a result, many women simply can’t find the Mr. Right. (Heck, how come there are more men than women in Malaysia )

In another chapter, we learn of American vegetarians. The United States is not a Hindu/Buddhist country. The vegetarians refrain from eating meat mainly for health reason or out of love for animals.

Then there are the New Luddites – people who say no to technology. They have been on the Internet before, but are now offline. Don’t laugh. I absolutely wish that I don’t get calls from my co-workers during weekend.

One of the most shocking lifestyles is LAT – Living Apart Together. It refers to committed, long-term couples who don’t live together for various reasons. Some of them are young and new homeowners who don’t want to give up their newfound independence. Others have children from a prior marriage, and avoid introducing a new spouse to the family.

Note that Penn didn’t judge these people. He didn't say being single is bad, or all of us should eat meat. He was merely bringing them to the attention of policy-makers and marketers. Americans generally respect liberty of others.

Not so in Asia. Our societies value conformance. If we live a lifestyle different from that of mainstream culture, we must be terribly wrong. Or we are freaks.

In our society, marriage is seen as a duty. It is sacred. Being single is unacceptable. I know of several bloggers who are troubled when their relatives and friends question them, “When are you getting married ar?”

I have backpacked several times in South-east Asia – all by myself. Many people asked me, “Why do you travel alone? Don’t you find it boring?” They are, of course, Malaysians. Along my solo trips, I have come across countless of Westerners and Japanese who did exactly the same thing. (See my answer here.)

Be yourself . Respect choice of others. It ain’t wrong to be different.