The Sociology of Leopard Man by Logan Feys

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Individuality is a valued character in society and is what makes us who we are, if we lose our individuality and conform we lose ourselves. In the article “The Sociology of Leopard Man” by Logan Feys, the author describes what he thinks it means to be an individual and the dangers of conformity. Leopard Man lives in seclusion and is covered in tattoos, Feys uses him as an example of an individual that does not care what the world thinks of him. I agree almost completely agree with Feys’s ideas about individuality. I agree because of Feys’s points about false normality, and how going against conformity is what makes an individual, however I disagree with his repeated use of the word freak, but see why he would use this language.
Fey’s says that many normal people are not really normal and have serious psychological issues like depression and alcoholism. According to Feys these conditions are caused by, “ The desire to fit in”. Trying to fit in is a common experience in life and it can be stressful trying to be something you're not, and while I have not gotten any of theses psychological conditions, I could see how others might turn to alcoholism, addiction, or become depressed, either to try and relieve or respond to that stress.Some people may say that once someone is depressed or an alcoholic they are no longer normal. But how do you know if someone has one of these problems, your neighbor or someone in your family could be depressed and you might never know unless they told you. Are they freaks just because they have a temporary problem? If they weren’t normal they would not of given themselves these conditions by trying to fit in. Leopard man is so happy because he is free from the pressures to conform and does not care abou...

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...l in the individual class of freaks not the attention grabbing one, and since Feys ideas are already different from what most people think being seen as a freak himself would make his arguments invalid in the eyes of many normal people.
Fey’s ideas about what it means to be an individual are completely valid. He says how individuality is an important trait that makes us human, how it is threatened by conformity, and how a balance between individuality and conformity can be used to achieve happiness without being as extreme as leopard man. Individuality is essential to the world, society cannot function without individuals with unique and creative ideas, but society will also fall apart without small amounts of conformity because people would not be able to work together, this is why it is important to balance individuality and conformity as Feys suggested.

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