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* In ''Literature/FightClub'', this is a central part of Tyler Durden's critique of individualism in general. He believes that it ''always'' ends in people [[BeYourself "being themselves"]] by embracing prepackaged identities sold to them by major corporations, and so he builds his insurgent culture-jamming terrorist group Project Mayhem on a cult-like [[IndividualityIsIllegal rejection of its members' individual identities]], which they only get back when they die in service to the group and its cause so they can be used as martyrs. The story then serves to explore the depths of Tyler's ideology, ultimately building for his followers a far more oppressive and totalitarian system than the one he seeks to replace, which ends with the Narrator ultimately rebelling against Tyler just as he rebelled against modern society.

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* In ''Literature/FightClub'', this is a central part of Tyler Durden's critique of individualism in general. He believes that it ''always'' ends in people [[BeYourself "being themselves"]] by embracing prepackaged identities sold to them by major corporations, and so what's more, it leaves them socially atomized with nobody to turn to when the going gets tough. As such, he builds his insurgent culture-jamming terrorist group Project Mayhem on a cult-like [[IndividualityIsIllegal rejection of its members' individual identities]], which they only get back when they die in service to the group and its cause so they can be used as martyrs. The story then serves to explore the depths of Tyler's ideology, ultimately building for his followers a far more oppressive and totalitarian system than the one he seeks to replace, which ends with the Narrator ultimately rebelling against Tyler just as he rebelled against modern society.
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* In ''Literature/FightClub'', this is a central part of Tyler Durden's critique of individualism in general. He believes that it ''always'' ends in people [[BeYourself "being themselves"]] by embracing prepackaged identities sold to them by major corporations, and so he builds his insurgent culture-jamming terrorist group Project Mayhem on a cult-like [[IndividualityIsIllegal rejection of its members' individual identities]], which they only get back when they die in service to the group and its cause so they can be used as martyrs. The story then serves to explore the depths of Tyler's ideology, ultimately building for his followers a far more oppressive and totalitarian system than the one he seeks to replace, which ends with the Narrator ultimately rebelling against Tyler just as he rebelled against modern society.
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The Monty Python example was the first in the folder, so saying "also" doesn't make sense if it's the first folder you read. The Karl Marx entry isn't an example without further elaboration.


* Also parodied in ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': When Brian desperately tries to dissuade the people from following him, telling them that they are "all individuals!" and are "all different", they all enthusiastically shout "Yes! We are all individuals!" and "Yes! We are all different!" Except for TheRuntAtTheEnd -- "[[LogicBomb I'm not]]!" -- who is immediately shushed. It should be noted that this line was a ThrowItIn, and the guy that did it got a bonus for thinking it up.

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* Also parodied Parodied in ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': When Brian desperately tries to dissuade the people from following him, telling them that they are "all individuals!" and are "all different", they all enthusiastically shout "Yes! We are all individuals!" and "Yes! We are all different!" Except for TheRuntAtTheEnd -- "[[LogicBomb I'm not]]!" -- who is immediately shushed. It should be noted that this line was a ThrowItIn, and the guy that did it got a bonus for thinking it up.



* Creator/KarlMarx's personal motto was "De omnibus dubitandum" which is Latin for "Doubt everything".

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* %%* Creator/KarlMarx's personal motto was "De omnibus dubitandum" which is Latin for "Doubt everything".
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Yeah, it… it's real. Check it out for yourself.

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->''"Welcome back to ''Just the Facts'' with J. Jonah Jameson, the podcast for people who think for themselves… with the help of this show."''
-->-- '''J. Jonah Jameson''', ''VideoGame/MarvelsSpiderMan2'' tie-in comic, issue #1
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* Conspiracy theorist and radio host Floyd Tesseract tries his best to get the message across to his listeners in ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' that a voice on the radio is ''not'' an automatically trustworthy source, including him. This is later justified when it's revealed that he truly thinks that the only way to prevent another species subjugation (which he is a part of in Ethereals' invasion of Earth and [[TheAtoner immensely regrets his role in it]]) is to make people anti-authority.

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* Conspiracy theorist and radio host Floyd Tesseract tries his best to get the message across to his listeners in ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' that a voice on the radio is ''not'' an automatically trustworthy source, including him. This is later justified when it's revealed that he truly thinks that the only way to prevent another species subjugation (which he is (he was a part of in the Ethereals' invasion of Earth and [[TheAtoner immensely regrets his role in it]]) is to make people anti-authority.
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-->'''The poster:''' QUESTION ALL AUTHORITY\\
'''A man:''' Why should I?\\
'''Comment:''' Just remember. You're unique. Just like everyone else.

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Removed: 435

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[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''LightNovel/TheAsteriskWar'': Main character Ayato encourages a girl named Kirin to break free of her abusive uncle and his ambitions, and do what she wants to do... by pretty much doing what he says. Also, she's in no small part attracted to him and seeks his approval a lot. Although to be fair, you could see this as favoring the carrot over the stick when it comes to whom you associate with.
[[/folder]]


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* ''Literature/TheAsteriskWar'': Main character Ayato encourages a girl named Kirin to break free of her abusive uncle and his ambitions, and do what she wants to do... by pretty much doing what he says. Also, she's in no small part attracted to him and seeks his approval a lot. Although to be fair, you could see this as favoring the carrot over the stick when it comes to whom you associate with.
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* ''LightNovel/AsteriskWar'': Main character Ayato encourages a girl named Kirin to break free of her abusive uncle and his ambitions, and do what she wants to do... by pretty much doing what he says. Also, she's in no small part attracted to him and seeks his approval a lot. Although to be fair, you could see this as favoring the carrot over the stick when it comes to whom you associate with.

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* ''LightNovel/AsteriskWar'': ''LightNovel/TheAsteriskWar'': Main character Ayato encourages a girl named Kirin to break free of her abusive uncle and his ambitions, and do what she wants to do... by pretty much doing what he says. Also, she's in no small part attracted to him and seeks his approval a lot. Although to be fair, you could see this as favoring the carrot over the stick when it comes to whom you associate with.



[[folder:Web Comics]]

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[[folder:Web Comics]][[folder:Webcomics]]
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* This is the entire point of several video games, namely ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'', ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''. Tragically, taking such advice to heart when you start playing results in [[ButThouMust a woefully incomplete gaming session]].
** Especially interesting in ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'' where you can only advance the game by obeying orders,[[spoiler: only to learn that your character has been mind-controlled into obedience without realizing it.]] What commentary this makes on the nature of video games is left to our interpretation.

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* This is the entire point of several video games, namely ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'', ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'', ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', ''VideoGame/BioShock1'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''.''VideoGame/Portal1''. Tragically, taking such advice to heart when you start playing results in [[ButThouMust a woefully incomplete gaming session]].
** Especially interesting in ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'' ''VideoGame/BioShock1'' where you can only advance the game by obeying orders,[[spoiler: only to learn that your character has been mind-controlled into obedience without realizing it.]] What commentary this makes on the nature of video games is left to our interpretation.
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* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Invoked in "[[Recap/FuturamaS3E9TheCyberHouseRules The Cyber House Rules]]": Leela, frustrated at being labeled a freak for having one huge eye, meets a surgeon who offers to implant a cosmetic second eye. Most of her co-workers support the idea, except for Fry who uses the BeYourself principle to argue against it. Leela brushes him off, turning his own message against him:
--> '''Fry:''' If you ask me, you shouldn't care what other people think.\\
'''Leela:''' You're right! I'll start by not caring what ''you'' think! I'm getting the surgery!


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* Anti-vaccine advocates commonly encourage their audience to "do their own research" -- obviously hoping that said research will lead people to other anti-vaccine advocates like them, as opposed to reputable doctors and scientists.
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** VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine takes this trope into its metafiction. It's a military-themed shooter that delivers a horrific TakeThat to the plethora of military shooters out there while depicting some of the worst atrocities ever captured in a video game. It outright insults the player for continuing to play and tells the player as well as the protagonist that the horrifying atrocities on screen are all their fault. The devs give a WordOfGod interpretation that there was an option to prevent all those horrible things; the player could have just walked away. By the end, the player and protagonist hear the damning line, [[spoiler: "We're here because you wanted to feel like something you're not: a hero."]] A loading screen sarcastically reads, "To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless." But the player presumably paid for the game and would like to get what they paid for, not just shut it off after two hours, and if the player does what he or she should have (shut it off), he wouldn't have seen the whole message and condemnation of the hero fantasy present in so many games.

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** VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' takes this trope into its metafiction. It's a military-themed shooter that delivers a horrific TakeThat to the plethora of military shooters out there while depicting some of the worst atrocities ever captured in a video game. It outright insults the player for continuing to play and tells the player as well as the protagonist that the horrifying atrocities on screen are all their fault. The devs give a WordOfGod interpretation that there was an option to prevent all those horrible things; the player could have just walked away. By the end, the player and protagonist hear the damning line, [[spoiler: "We're here because you wanted to feel like something you're not: a hero."]] A loading screen sarcastically reads, "To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless." But the player presumably paid for the game and would like to get what they paid for, not just shut it off after two hours, and if the player does what he or she should have (shut it off), he wouldn't have seen the whole message and condemnation of the hero fantasy present in so many games.
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* '''Webcomic/GoblinHollow'': "You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you're all the same" -- on, [[http://www.rhjunior.com/GH/00039.html as Ben points out]], a mass-produced T-shirt. The same T-shirt appeared in a ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' page involving Victor's younger brother.

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* '''Webcomic/GoblinHollow'': ''Webcomic/GoblinHollow'': "You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you're all the same" -- on, [[http://www.rhjunior.com/GH/00039.html as Ben points out]], a mass-produced T-shirt. The same T-shirt appeared in a ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' page involving Victor's younger brother.
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved


* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOX9mb7V4o This Super Bowl commercial]] for Motorola's ''Xoom'' tablet, meant to be a TakeThat at Apple's famous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8 "1984"]] ad. The guy is shown to be fighting the system by using the Xoom, in contrast to the legion of white-hooded apple zombies, but the inadvertent message is "Fight enslavement by this huge corporation by buying the products of this other huge corporation". Instead of a TakeThat, it becomes NotSoDifferent instead because it's exactly the same Apple delivers in the original 1984 commercial.

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* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOX9mb7V4o This Super Bowl commercial]] for Motorola's ''Xoom'' tablet, meant to be a TakeThat at Apple's famous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8 "1984"]] ad. The guy is shown to be fighting the system by using the Xoom, in contrast to the legion of white-hooded apple zombies, but the inadvertent message is "Fight enslavement by this huge corporation by buying the products of this other huge corporation". Instead of a TakeThat, it becomes NotSoDifferent a NotSoDifferentRemark instead because it's exactly the same Apple delivers in the original 1984 commercial.
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Telling communists that they “never once thought of doubting themselves or doubting Marx” is obviously absurd.


* Creator/KarlMarx's personal motto was "De omnibus dubitandum" which is Latin for "Doubt everything". This was widely known and followed by communists of all persuasions and variants, who never once thought about doubting themselves or doubting Marx.

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* Creator/KarlMarx's personal motto was "De omnibus dubitandum" which is Latin for "Doubt everything". This was widely known and followed by communists of all persuasions and variants, who never once thought about doubting themselves or doubting Marx.
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* Conspiracy theorist and radio host Floyd Tesseract tries his best to get the message across to his listeners in ''VideoGame/XComChimeraSquad'' that a voice on the radio is ''not'' an automatically trustworthy source.

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* Conspiracy theorist and radio host Floyd Tesseract tries his best to get the message across to his listeners in ''VideoGame/XComChimeraSquad'' ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' that a voice on the radio is ''not'' an automatically trustworthy source.source, including him. This is later justified when it's revealed that he truly thinks that the only way to prevent another species subjugation (which he is a part of in Ethereals' invasion of Earth and [[TheAtoner immensely regrets his role in it]]) is to make people anti-authority.
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* ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'': Baliir sets up a 'DISOBEY' rally telling everyone to stop blindly following the Vals, even him. Kiel's response is a snarky "I guess he's gonna be president, then."
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* [[http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=968 A Softer World #968]].

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* %%* [[http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=968 A Softer World #968]].
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Can also be a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop, if the author's intent was obviously to send the message, "Don't blindly obey anybody -- [[{{Hypocrite}} except me.]]" This can especially be the case when the [[WriterOnBoard author is trying to convince the audience to take up particular political causes]]; see the Real Life example of conspiracy theorists below for how that can turn out badly.

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Can also be a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop, HardTruthAesop, if the author's intent was obviously to send the message, "Don't blindly obey anybody -- [[{{Hypocrite}} except me.]]" This can especially be the case when the [[WriterOnBoard author is trying to convince the audience to take up particular political causes]]; see the Real Life example of conspiracy theorists below for how that can turn out badly.
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Children's media tends to run afoul of this when doing a show about [[PeerPressureMakesYouEvil resisting peer pressure]], informing children that they don't have to do something just because the "cool kids" tell them to. "It's okay to go against the crowd" is usually used in situations like "DrugsAreBad, even if the cool kids do them," or "Don't [[VehicularSabotage key the unpopular teacher's car]] because the JerkJock or AlphaBitch wants you to," or "don't wear age-inappropriate clothing just because others think it's cool," or

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Children's media tends to run afoul of this when doing a show about [[PeerPressureMakesYouEvil resisting peer pressure]], informing children that they don't have to do something just because the "cool kids" tell them to. "It's okay to go against the crowd" is usually used in situations like "DrugsAreBad, even if the cool kids do them," or "Don't [[VehicularSabotage key the unpopular teacher's car]] because the JerkJock or AlphaBitch wants you to," or "don't wear age-inappropriate clothing AgeInappropriateDress just because others think it's cool," or
cool."
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Children's media tends to run afoul of this when doing a show about [[PeerPressureMakesYouEvil resisting peer pressure]], informing children that they don't have to do something just because the "cool kids" tell them to. "It's okay to go against the crowd" is usually used in situations like "DrugsAreBad, even if the cool kids do them," or "don't wear age-inappropriate clothing just because others think it's cool," or "don't key the unpopular teacher's car because the AlphaBitch wants you to."

The difficulty is that when badly done, these lessons can come across not as "be yourself, even if you stand out" but rather "conform to your authority figures, not your peers," since the message tends to encourage conventional, prosocial behavior (like not doing drugs, not dressing inappropriately, and not keying people's cars.)

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Children's media tends to run afoul of this when doing a show about [[PeerPressureMakesYouEvil resisting peer pressure]], informing children that they don't have to do something just because the "cool kids" tell them to. "It's okay to go against the crowd" is usually used in situations like "DrugsAreBad, even if the cool kids do them," or "Don't [[VehicularSabotage key the unpopular teacher's car]] because the JerkJock or AlphaBitch wants you to," or "don't wear age-inappropriate clothing just because others think it's cool," or "don't key the unpopular teacher's car because the AlphaBitch wants you to."

or

The difficulty is that when badly done, these lessons can come across not as "be yourself, even if you stand out" but rather "conform to your authority figures, not your peers," since the message tends to encourage conventional, prosocial behavior (like behavior, like [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking not doing drugs, not vandalizing vehicles, and not dressing inappropriately, and not keying people's cars.)
inappropriately.]]
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The ticklish situation caused when a show or program tries to teach the lesson that you shouldn't believe everything you hear from an authority (like a show or program).

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The ticklish situation caused when a show or program tries to teach the lesson that you shouldn't believe everything you hear from an authority (like a show or program).



** Sprite was ''especially'' bad with this. "Image is nothing" was their slogan even after they stopped doing ads which used this trope.

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** Sprite was ''especially'' bad with this. "Image is nothing" was their slogan even after they stopped doing ads which that used this trope.



* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOX9mb7V4o This superbowl commercial]] for Motorola's ''Xoom'' tablet, meant to be a TakeThat at Apple's famous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8 "1984"]] ad. The guy is shown to be fighting the system by using the Xoom, in contrast to the legion of white-hooded apple zombies, but the inadvertent message is "Fight enslavement by this huge corporation by buying the products of this other huge corporation". Instead of a TakeThat, it becomes NotSoDifferent instead because it's exactly the same Apple delivers in the original 1984 commercial.

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* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOX9mb7V4o This superbowl Super Bowl commercial]] for Motorola's ''Xoom'' tablet, meant to be a TakeThat at Apple's famous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8 "1984"]] ad. The guy is shown to be fighting the system by using the Xoom, in contrast to the legion of white-hooded apple zombies, but the inadvertent message is "Fight enslavement by this huge corporation by buying the products of this other huge corporation". Instead of a TakeThat, it becomes NotSoDifferent instead because it's exactly the same Apple delivers in the original 1984 commercial.



* ''LightNovel/AsteriskWar'': Main character Ayato encourages a girl named Kirin to break free of her abusive uncle and his ambitions, and do what she wants to do... by pretty much doing what he says. Also, she's in no small part attracted to him, and seeks his approval a lot. Although to be fair, you could see this as favoring the carrot over the stick when it comes to whom you associate with.

to:

* ''LightNovel/AsteriskWar'': Main character Ayato encourages a girl named Kirin to break free of her abusive uncle and his ambitions, and do what she wants to do... by pretty much doing what he says. Also, she's in no small part attracted to him, him and seeks his approval a lot. Although to be fair, you could see this as favoring the carrot over the stick when it comes to whom you associate with.



* Lampshaded in the Franchise/{{Batman}} ''[[{{Elseworld}} Legends of the Dead Earth]]'' story "Fables of the Bat-Man". In a {{dystopia}}n future, [[SdrawkcabName Posea]] tells kids stories about Batman that each have AnAesop designed to make them question their society. The first one is that you shouldn't let anyone force you to think their way. One of the kids asks "Except for you, Posea?" and he replies "Well now, maybe you've got me there, pup, so I'd urge you to question ''everything'', even what I tell you. Find your own truths -- and always think for yourselves."

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* Lampshaded in the Franchise/{{Batman}} ''[[{{Elseworld}} Legends of the Dead Earth]]'' story "Fables of the Bat-Man". In a {{dystopia}}n future, [[SdrawkcabName Posea]] tells kids stories about Batman that each have has AnAesop designed to make them question their society. The first one is that you shouldn't let anyone force you to think their way. One of the kids asks "Except for you, Posea?" and he replies "Well now, maybe you've got me there, pup, so I'd urge you to question ''everything'', even what I tell you. Find your own truths -- and always think for yourselves."



* Think for yourself is the main argument of the protagonist in ''Film/ThankYouForSmoking'', one he uses to assert that the schoolchildren should challenge authority, in this case the authorities saying smoking is bad for you and you shouldn't do it (he is PR man for the tobacco industry).

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* Think for yourself is the main argument of the protagonist in ''Film/ThankYouForSmoking'', one he uses to assert that the schoolchildren should challenge authority, in this case case, the authorities saying smoking is bad for you and you shouldn't do it (he is a PR man for the tobacco industry).



* Creator/{{Socrates}} discouraged writing, saying that insight is best gained from debate. People pore over the writings of Creator/{{Plato}}, trying to find out what Socrates thought.

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* Creator/{{Socrates}} discouraged writing, saying that insight is best gained from debate.debates. People pore over the writings of Creator/{{Plato}}, trying to find out what Socrates thought.



** Harry, Ron and Hermione more-or-less teach this lesson to Neville after he's cursed by Draco Malfoy. Later on, this causes Neville to decide to try and stop the trio from sneaking out at night, unaware they need to in order to SaveTheWorld:

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** Harry, Ron Ron, and Hermione more-or-less teach this lesson to Neville after he's cursed by Draco Malfoy. Later on, this causes Neville to decide to try and stop the trio from sneaking out at night, unaware they need to in order to SaveTheWorld:



** Michael Shermer wrote the interesting essay [[http://www.2think.org/02_2_she.shtml "The Unlikeliest Cult in History"]] about this very phenomenon.
** This even pops up among fans of objectivist writers who don't explicitly reference Rand in their works -- though the devotion is instead to that writer, not Rand (usually until the writer in question tells them where he got the idea).
* An example would be in the novels of Terry Goodkind, ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'', where the main character effectively ends up as a benevolent capitalist dictator, the series having explored the weaknesses of all other forms of government. The last chapter of the series features that character ''ordering his followers'', ironically enough, to no longer do the devotion, a ritual that has over time turned the heads of his family into objects of a cult of personality.

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** Michael Shermer wrote the an interesting essay [[http://www.2think.org/02_2_she.shtml "The Unlikeliest Cult in History"]] about this very phenomenon.
** This even pops up among fans of objectivist writers who don't explicitly reference Rand in their works -- though although the devotion is instead to that writer, not Rand (usually until the writer in question tells them where he got the idea).
* An example would be in the novels of Terry Goodkind, ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'', where the main character effectively ends up as a benevolent capitalist dictator, the series having has explored the weaknesses of all other forms of government. The last chapter of the series features that character ''ordering his followers'', ironically enough, to no longer do the devotion, a ritual that has over time turned the heads of his family into objects of a cult of personality.



* Discussed in ''Literature/SophiesWorld'' in the chapter concerning Hegelian philosophy. The example is of an obedient daughter who does everything she is told, until her mother has it and asks her daughter to ''not'' be so bloody obedient. She begs her daughter to oppose her, only to get this answer: "OK, mom". Alternatively, what if the daughter turned on her mother and opposed her by saying "but I ''want'' to obey you!" LogicBomb?

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* Discussed in ''Literature/SophiesWorld'' in the chapter concerning Hegelian philosophy. The example is of an obedient daughter who does everything she is told, told until her mother has it and asks her daughter to ''not'' be so bloody obedient. She begs her daughter to oppose her, only to get this answer: "OK, mom". Alternatively, what if the daughter turned on her mother and opposed her by saying "but I ''want'' to obey you!" LogicBomb?



* Another parody of the concept comes from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. The Janitor has spent the episode (which spans about a month) growing sideburns and encouraging others to do likewise because he wants to bring them back into fashion. Then he reveals that his are fake, and hopes everyone has learnt an important lesson. Only...

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* Another parody of the concept comes from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. The Janitor has spent the episode (which spans about a month) growing sideburns and encouraging others to do likewise because he wants to bring them back into fashion. Then he reveals that his are he is fake, and hopes everyone has learnt learned an important lesson. Only...



* Music/{{Tool}} was well known for tricking concert goers into saying stupid things like the above Scrubs example.

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* Music/{{Tool}} was well known for tricking concert goers concert-goers into saying stupid things like the above Scrubs example.



* Music/{{Gorillaz}} featured a version of Steve Martin's "The Non-Conformist Oath" (see Stand Up Comedy) as an interlude on the album "Humanz". The audience breaks down in laughter by the third question.

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* Music/{{Gorillaz}} featured a version of Steve Martin's "The Non-Conformist Oath" (see Stand Up Comedy) as an interlude on the album "Humanz". The audience breaks down in laughter by with the third question.



* Played with in the works of Creator/BertoltBrecht. Most of his earlier stuff was a critique on a then up-and-coming UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and his emotionally charged rhetoric, but Brecht was quite aware of the irony of using one form of demagoguery to attack another. Therefore his plays, rather than telling the audience what to think, only told them ''to'' think. Thus, Brecht came up with the theory of the ''verfremdungseffekt'' (roughly, the "estrangement effect"), a refusal to manipulate the audience's sympathies through emotional grandstanding, and instead to frequently [[NoFourthWall remind them that they were watching a play]] and that they should draw their own conclusions from it.

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* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with with]] in the works of Creator/BertoltBrecht. Most of his earlier stuff was a critique on a then up-and-coming UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and his emotionally charged rhetoric, but Brecht was quite aware of the irony of using one form of demagoguery to attack another. Therefore his plays, rather than telling the audience what to think, only told them ''to'' think. Thus, Brecht came up with the theory of the ''verfremdungseffekt'' (roughly, the "estrangement effect"), a refusal to manipulate the audience's sympathies through emotional grandstanding, and instead to frequently [[NoFourthWall remind them that they were watching a play]] and that they should draw their own conclusions from it.



** VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine takes this trope into its metafiction. It's a military-themed shooter which delivers a horrific TakeThat to the plethora of military shooters out there while depicting some of the worst atrocities ever captured in a video game. It outright insults the player for continuing to play and tells the player as well as the protagonist that the horrifying atrocities on screen are all their fault. The devs give a WordOfGod interpretation that there was an option to prevent all those horrible things; the player could have just walked away. By the end, the player and protagonist hear the damning line, [[spoiler: "We're here because you wanted to feel like something you're not: a hero."]] A loading screen sarcastically reads, "To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless." But the player presumably paid for the game and would like to get what they paid for, not just shut it off after two hours, and if the player does what he or she should have (shut it off), he wouldn't have seen the whole message and condemnation of the hero fantasy present in so many games.

to:

** VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine takes this trope into its metafiction. It's a military-themed shooter which that delivers a horrific TakeThat to the plethora of military shooters out there while depicting some of the worst atrocities ever captured in a video game. It outright insults the player for continuing to play and tells the player as well as the protagonist that the horrifying atrocities on screen are all their fault. The devs give a WordOfGod interpretation that there was an option to prevent all those horrible things; the player could have just walked away. By the end, the player and protagonist hear the damning line, [[spoiler: "We're here because you wanted to feel like something you're not: a hero."]] A loading screen sarcastically reads, "To kill for yourself is murder. To kill for your government is heroic. To kill for entertainment is harmless." But the player presumably paid for the game and would like to get what they paid for, not just shut it off after two hours, and if the player does what he or she should have (shut it off), he wouldn't have seen the whole message and condemnation of the hero fantasy present in so many games.



* In ''VideoGame/BitTrip FLUX'', this ''would'' be the message [[spoiler: to the ''player'', ''from'' the player character in the ending. His journey is over, but yours isn't. '''Put down the controller and live your life.''']] Instead this trope is played with, as [[spoiler: [[SheatheYourSword it is required for the ending to the series.]]]]

to:

* In ''VideoGame/BitTrip FLUX'', this ''would'' be the message [[spoiler: to the ''player'', ''from'' the player character in the ending. His journey is over, but yours isn't. '''Put down the controller and live your life.''']] Instead Instead, this trope is played with, as [[spoiler: [[SheatheYourSword it is required for the ending to the series.]]]]



* Almost every conspiracy theorist peppers his theory with requests to "think for yourself" and "form your own opinion". Obviously enough, if your own opinion does not match his own, you are either a governmental agent or just too dumb to see the Truth. Which leads some to the logical conclusion that conspiracy theorists are part of a ViralMarketing [[TheConspiracy government conspiracy to cause this effect on people]]. As expressed on the cover of ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Illuminati'': "Never believe in conspiracy theories -- they are all a plot from the intelligentsia, to stop you from finding the truth!"

to:

* Almost every conspiracy theorist peppers his theory with requests to "think for yourself" and "form your own opinion". Obviously enough, if your own opinion does not match his own, you are either a governmental agent or just too dumb to see the Truth. Which This leads some to the logical conclusion that conspiracy theorists are part of a ViralMarketing [[TheConspiracy government conspiracy to cause this effect on people]]. As expressed on the cover of ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Illuminati'': "Never believe in conspiracy theories -- they are all a plot from the intelligentsia, to stop you from finding the truth!"

Added: 1509

Changed: 3969

Removed: 2885

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None





** A Time Warner Cable commercial urges consumers to "express your individuality with people just like you".
* Yahoo's "Start Wearing Purple" campaign, with purple touted as representative of innovation and individuality, comes to mind.
** The Irony being that purple is the traditional color of royalty and divinity, meaning people who wear it ''demand'' that others follow their every action...
*** Yahoo's campaign may have been a riff on [[http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/warning/ this poem]]-- though the fact that "Red Hat" clubs with ''official merchandise'' sprouted up in the poem's wake is telling.

to:

** A Time Warner Cable commercial urges consumers to "express your individuality with people just like you".
you."
* Yahoo's "Start Wearing Purple" campaign, with purple touted as representative of innovation and individuality, comes to mind.
**
mind. The Irony being that purple is the traditional color of royalty and divinity, meaning people who wear it ''demand'' that others follow their every action...
***
action... Yahoo's campaign may have been a riff on [[http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/warning/ this poem]]-- poem]] -- though the fact that "Red Hat" clubs with ''official merchandise'' sprouted up in the poem's wake is telling.



* One particular Scion commercial gave the message "avoid being a sheeple by driving our cars." Considering that Scion is trying to cash in on the car loving aspect of stereotypical urban culture...
* The store Hot Topic is the perfect example of DisobeyThisMessage- as it is the vendor of mass-marketed non-conformity.
** [[ComicallyMissingThePoint On the bright side, they have had Marvel Zombies and Halo shirts.]]

to:

* One particular Scion commercial gave the message "avoid being a sheeple by driving our cars." Considering that Scion is trying to cash in on the car loving car-loving aspect of stereotypical urban culture...
* The store Hot Topic is the perfect example of DisobeyThisMessage- -- as it is the vendor of mass-marketed non-conformity.
**
non-conformity. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint On the bright side, they have had Marvel Zombies and Halo shirts.]]



[[folder:Anime]]

to:

[[folder:Anime]][[folder:Anime & Manga]]



[[folder:Comedy]]
* This segment from Creator/SteveMartin's first comedy album:
-->'''Steve:''' Let's repeat the non-conformists' oath! "I promise to be different!"\\
'''Audience:''' "I promise to be different!"\\
'''Steve:''' "I promise to be unique!"\\
'''Audience:''' "I promise to be unique!"\\
'''Steve:''' "I promise not to repeat things other people say!"\\
'''Audience:''' "I promise..." ''[confused murmuring and nervous laughter]''\\
'''Steve:''' Good!
[[/folder]]



* Lampshaded in the Franchise/{{Batman}} [[{{Elseworld}} Legends Of The Dead Earth]] story "Fables of the Bat-Man". In a {{dystopia}}n future, [[SdrawkcabName Posea]] tells kids stories about Batman that each have AnAesop designed to make them question their society. The first one is that you shouldn't let anyone force you to think their way. One of the kids asks "Except for you, Posea?" and he replies "Well now, maybe you've got me there, pup, so I'd urge you to question ''everything'', even what I tell you. Find your own truths -- and always think for yourselves."

to:

* Lampshaded in the Franchise/{{Batman}} [[{{Elseworld}} ''[[{{Elseworld}} Legends Of The of the Dead Earth]] Earth]]'' story "Fables of the Bat-Man". In a {{dystopia}}n future, [[SdrawkcabName Posea]] tells kids stories about Batman that each have AnAesop designed to make them question their society. The first one is that you shouldn't let anyone force you to think their way. One of the kids asks "Except for you, Posea?" and he replies "Well now, maybe you've got me there, pup, so I'd urge you to question ''everything'', even what I tell you. Find your own truths -- and always think for yourselves."



-->'''Therapist''': There's no way to explain the story that you're trying to tell. Maybe there just shouldn't be any more stories.
-->'''Art''': Samuel Beckett once said that any word is an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness. (Beat). On the other hand, he SAID it.

to:

-->'''Therapist''': -->'''Therapist:''' There's no way to explain the story that you're trying to tell. Maybe there just shouldn't be any more stories.
-->'''Art''':
stories.\\
'''Art:'''
Samuel Beckett once said that any word is an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness. (Beat). ''[beat]'' On the other hand, he SAID it.



[[folder:Film]]
* Also parodied in ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': When Brian desperately tries to dissuade the people from following him, telling them that they are "all individuals!" and are "all different", they all enthusiastically shout "Yes! We are all individuals!" and "Yes! We are all different!" Except for TheRuntAtTheEnd -- "[[LogicBomb I'm not]]!" -- who is immediately shushed.
** It should be noted that this line was a ThrowItIn, and the guy that did it got a bonus for thinking it up.
* Played straight in ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'', where the Aesop is "Don't listen to celebrities for political advice, unless they're Trey Parker and Matt Stone".
* ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'': Don't do what grown-ups like me tell you! Let's all be individuals... together! Given [[BlitheSpirit who's]] saying it, though, it should be read as tongue-in-cheek.
* Think for yourself is the main argument of the protagonist in ''Film/ThankYouForSmoking'', one he uses to assert that the schoolchildren should challenge authority, in this case the authorities saying smoking is bad for you and you shouldn't do it (he is PR man for the tobacco industry).

to:

[[folder:Film]]
[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* Also parodied in ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': When Brian desperately tries to dissuade the people from following him, telling them that they are "all individuals!" and are "all different", they all enthusiastically shout "Yes! We are all individuals!" and "Yes! We are all different!" Except for TheRuntAtTheEnd -- "[[LogicBomb I'm not]]!" -- who is immediately shushed.
** It should be noted that
''{{ComicStrip/Dilbert}}'' poked fun using this line was trope by having Dogbert interview a ThrowItIn, rapper who espoused individuality while dressing and the guy that did it got a bonus for thinking it up.
* Played straight in ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'', where the Aesop is "Don't listen to celebrities for political advice, unless they're Trey Parker and Matt Stone".
* ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'': Don't do what grown-ups
acting like me tell you! Let's all be individuals... together! Given [[BlitheSpirit who's]] saying it, though, it should be read as tongue-in-cheek.
every other rapper.
* Think for yourself is the main argument of the protagonist Classically done in ''Film/ThankYouForSmoking'', one he uses to assert that the schoolchildren should challenge authority, in this case the authorities saying smoking is bad for you and you shouldn't do it (he is PR man for the tobacco industry).''Webcomic/TheParkingLotIsFull'' strip with a "Question All Authority" poster.



[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Also parodied in ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': When Brian desperately tries to dissuade the people from following him, telling them that they are "all individuals!" and are "all different", they all enthusiastically shout "Yes! We are all individuals!" and "Yes! We are all different!" Except for TheRuntAtTheEnd -- "[[LogicBomb I'm not]]!" -- who is immediately shushed. It should be noted that this line was a ThrowItIn, and the guy that did it got a bonus for thinking it up.
* ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'': Don't do what grown-ups like me tell you! Let's all be individuals... together! Given [[BlitheSpirit who's]] saying it, though, it should be read as tongue-in-cheek.
* Think for yourself is the main argument of the protagonist in ''Film/ThankYouForSmoking'', one he uses to assert that the schoolchildren should challenge authority, in this case the authorities saying smoking is bad for you and you shouldn't do it (he is PR man for the tobacco industry).
[[/folder]]



* Subverted in the first ''Literature/{{Harry Potter|and the Philosophers Stone}}'' book. Harry, Ron and Hermione more-or-less teach this lesson to Neville after he's cursed by Draco Malfoy. Later on, this causes Neville to decide to try and stop the trio from sneaking out at night, unaware they need to in order to SaveTheWorld:
--->'''Neville:''' You were the one who told me to stand up to people!
--->'''Ron:''' Yes, but not to ''us''.

to:

* Subverted in the first ''Literature/{{Harry Potter|and the Philosophers Stone}}'' book. ''Literature/HarryPotter'' book, ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone''.
**
Harry, Ron and Hermione more-or-less teach this lesson to Neville after he's cursed by Draco Malfoy. Later on, this causes Neville to decide to try and stop the trio from sneaking out at night, unaware they need to in order to SaveTheWorld:
--->'''Neville:''' You were the one who told me to stand up to people!
--->'''Ron:'''
people!\\
'''Ron:'''
Yes, but not to ''us''.



* One criticism sometimes leveled at ''some'' followers of Ayn Rand's philosophy of UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is that, despite the fact that objectivism encourages thinking for oneself (the virtue of mental independence), some Objectivists are [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocrites]] that implicitly believe Objectivist conclusions are the ''only'' reasonable conclusions that independent thinkers can reach (and any failure to do so consists of intellectual dishonesty). There is a reason that "Randroid" has become one of the more common criticisms leveled at Objectivists, fair or not.

to:

* One criticism sometimes leveled at ''some'' followers of Ayn Rand's philosophy of UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is that, despite the fact that objectivism encourages thinking for oneself (the virtue of mental independence), some Objectivists are [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocrites]] {{hypocrite}}s that implicitly believe Objectivist conclusions are the ''only'' reasonable conclusions that independent thinkers can reach (and any failure to do so consists of intellectual dishonesty). There is a reason that "Randroid" has become one of the more common criticisms leveled at Objectivists, fair or not.



* An example would be in the [[Literature/SwordOfTruth novels of Terry Goodkind]], where the main character effectively ends up as a benevolent capitalist dictator, the series having explored the weaknesses of all other forms of government. The last chapter of the series features that character ''ordering his followers'', ironically enough, to no longer do the devotion, a ritual that has over time turned the heads of his family into objects of a cult of personality.

to:

* An example would be in the [[Literature/SwordOfTruth novels of Terry Goodkind]], Goodkind, ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'', where the main character effectively ends up as a benevolent capitalist dictator, the series having explored the weaknesses of all other forms of government. The last chapter of the series features that character ''ordering his followers'', ironically enough, to no longer do the devotion, a ritual that has over time turned the heads of his family into objects of a cult of personality.



* This is used as a LogicBomb (among others) in ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'' to combat the LiteralMinded and orderly Auditors of Reality - "Ignore This Sign, By Order".
* Discussed in ''Literature/SophiesWorld'' in the chapter concerning Hegelian philosophy. The example is of an obedient daughter who does everything she is told, until her mother has it and aks her daughter to ''not'' be so bloody obedient. She begs her daughter to oppose her, only to get this answer: "Ok, mom". Alternatively, what if the daughter turned on her mother and opposed her by saying "but I ''want'' to obey you!" LogicBomb?

to:

* This is used as a LogicBomb (among others) in ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'' to combat the LiteralMinded and orderly Auditors of Reality - -- "Ignore This Sign, By Order".
* Discussed in ''Literature/SophiesWorld'' in the chapter concerning Hegelian philosophy. The example is of an obedient daughter who does everything she is told, until her mother has it and aks asks her daughter to ''not'' be so bloody obedient. She begs her daughter to oppose her, only to get this answer: "Ok, "OK, mom". Alternatively, what if the daughter turned on her mother and opposed her by saying "but I ''want'' to obey you!" LogicBomb?



[[folder:Live Action TV]]

to:

[[folder:Live Action [[folder:Live-Action TV]]



-->'''Janitor''': You have to think for yourself. Don't be a sheep and follow the fold. Now repeat after me, "I think for myself".\\
'''Everyone''': "I think for myself".\\
'''Janitor''': "You can't tell me what to say".\\
'''Everyone''': "You can't tell me what to say".\\
'''Janitor''': "I won't say this". \\
'''Everyone''': "I won't say this". \\
'''Janitor''': Rrrrolululu. \\
'''Everyone''': "Rrrrolululu". \\
'''Janitor''': ''(to himself)'' Unbelievable. \\
'''Everyone''': "Unbelievable".
* Toward the end of ''Series/BabylonFive'', G'Kar gained a large and [[UnwantedFalseFaith unwanted]] following when his writings were published without his permission. He tries to get his followers to think for themselves, and renounces some of the opinions he'd written earlier (such as bitter hatred for the Centauri). At one point, he engages in a practical demostration for why people shouldn't blindly trust him:
-->'''G'Kar:''' If the book is holy, and I am holy, then I must help you become closer to the thoughts of the universe. Put your face in the book.
-->'''Follower:''' ''(puts his face in the book)''
-->'''G'Kar:''' ''([[ThrowTheBookAtThem snaps the book shut on his face]])''.

to:

-->'''Janitor''': -->'''Janitor:''' You have to think for yourself. Don't be a sheep and follow the fold. Now repeat after me, "I think for myself".\\
'''Everyone''': '''Everyone:''' "I think for myself".\\
'''Janitor''': '''Janitor:''' "You can't tell me what to say".\\
'''Everyone''': '''Everyone:''' "You can't tell me what to say".\\
'''Janitor''': '''Janitor:''' "I won't say this". this".\\
'''Everyone''': '''Everyone:''' "I won't say this". this".\\
'''Janitor''': Rrrrolululu. '''Janitor:''' Rrrrolululu.\\
'''Everyone''': "Rrrrolululu". '''Everyone:''' "Rrrrolululu".\\
'''Janitor''': ''(to himself)'' Unbelievable. '''Janitor:''' ''[to himself]'' Unbelievable.\\
'''Everyone''': '''Everyone:''' "Unbelievable".
* Toward the end of ''Series/BabylonFive'', G'Kar gained a large and [[UnwantedFalseFaith unwanted]] following when his writings were published without his permission. He tries to get his followers to think for themselves, and renounces some of the opinions he'd written earlier (such as bitter hatred for the Centauri). At one point, he engages in a practical demostration demonstration for why people shouldn't blindly trust him:
-->'''G'Kar:''' If the book is holy, and I am holy, then I must help you become closer to the thoughts of the universe. Put your face in the book.
-->'''Follower:''' ''(puts
book.\\
''[Follower puts
his face in the book)''
-->'''G'Kar:''' ''([[ThrowTheBookAtThem
book]''\\
''[G'Kar [[ThrowTheBookAtThem
snaps the book shut on his face]])''.face]]]''



--> ''I want to be a rebel, like everyone else.''
--> ''Be different as the devil, like everyone else.''
--> ''And I want to talk like the rebels talk,''
--> ''And walk the rebel walk,''
--> ''Think like the rebels think,''
--> ''And drink the rebel drink,''
--> ''Got no reality, no personality,''
--> ''Perhaps I'll find one on TV.''

to:

--> ''I -->''I want to be a rebel, like everyone else.''
--> ''Be
\\
Be
different as the devil, like everyone else.''
--> ''And
\\
And
I want to talk like the rebels talk,''
--> ''And
talk,\\
And
walk the rebel walk,''
--> ''Think
walk,\\
Think
like the rebels think,''
--> ''And
think,\\
And
drink the rebel drink,''
--> ''Got
drink,\\
Got
no reality, no personality,''
--> ''Perhaps
personality,\\
Perhaps
I'll find one on TV.''



[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''{{ComicStrip/Dilbert}}'' poked fun using this trope by having Dogbert interview a rapper who espoused individuality while dressing and acting like every other rapper.
* Classically done in ''Webcomic/TheParkingLotIsFull'' strip with a "Question All Authority" poster.

to:

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* ''{{ComicStrip/Dilbert}}'' poked fun using this trope by having Dogbert interview a rapper who espoused individuality while dressing Played straight in ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'', where the Aesop is "Don't listen to celebrities for political advice, unless they're Trey Parker and acting like every other rapper.
* Classically done in ''Webcomic/TheParkingLotIsFull'' strip with a "Question All Authority" poster.
Matt Stone."



[[folder:Stand Up Comedy]]
* This segment from Creator/SteveMartin's first comedy album:
-->'''Steve''': Let's repeat the non-conformists' oath! "I promise to be different!"\\
'''Audience''': "I promise to be different!"\\
'''Steve''': "I promise to be unique!"\\
'''Audience''': "I promise to be unique!"\\
'''Steve''': "I promise not to repeat things other people say!"\\
'''Audience''': "I promise..." (confused murmuring and nervous laughter)\\
'''Steve''': "Good!"
[[/folder]]



* Played with in the works of Creator/BertoltBrecht. Most of his earlier stuff was a critique on a then up-and-coming UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and his emotionally-charged rhetoric, but Brecht was quite aware of the irony of using one form of demagoguery to attack another. Therefore his plays, rather than telling the audience what to think, only told them ''to'' think. Thus, Brecht came up with the theory of the ''verfremdungseffekt'' (roughly, the 'estrangement effect'), a refusal to manipulate the audience's sympathies through emotional grandstanding, and instead to frequently [[NoFourthWall remind them that they were watching a play]] and that they should draw their own conclusions from it.

to:

* Played with in the works of Creator/BertoltBrecht. Most of his earlier stuff was a critique on a then up-and-coming UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and his emotionally-charged emotionally charged rhetoric, but Brecht was quite aware of the irony of using one form of demagoguery to attack another. Therefore his plays, rather than telling the audience what to think, only told them ''to'' think. Thus, Brecht came up with the theory of the ''verfremdungseffekt'' (roughly, the 'estrangement effect'), "estrangement effect"), a refusal to manipulate the audience's sympathies through emotional grandstanding, and instead to frequently [[NoFourthWall remind them that they were watching a play]] and that they should draw their own conclusions from it.



* ''VideoGame/{{Depict1}}'' combines this with MissionControlIsOffItsMeds. If he says you need to collect gems, you die the moment you touch them. If he says the [[SpikesOfDoom spikes will kill you]], you can pick them up and use them as throwing weapons. If you fail to "press Esc to end the game" at what he says is the ending, he leaves you in a huff.

to:

* ''VideoGame/{{Depict1}}'' ''VideoGame/Depict1'' combines this with MissionControlIsOffItsMeds. If he says you need to collect gems, you die the moment you touch them. If he says the [[SpikesOfDoom spikes will kill you]], you can pick them up and use them as throwing weapons. If you fail to "press Esc to end the game" at what he says is the ending, he leaves you in a huff.



* Webcomic/GoblinHollow: "You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you're all the same" -- on, [[http://www.rhjunior.com/GH/00039.html as Ben points out]], a mass-produced T-shirt.
** The same T-shirt appeared in a ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' page involving Victor's younger brother.
* Parodied (in an inversion of the usual parody) in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0709.html this]] ''[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick Order of the Stick]]'' strip: Tsukiko claims paladins are only happy when they're forcing people to be exactly like them. When the Monster In The Darkness says O-Chul told him he should make his own decisions, she replies "Right, exactly like ''he'' does! He's doing it already!"

to:

* Webcomic/GoblinHollow: '''Webcomic/GoblinHollow'': "You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you're all the same" -- on, [[http://www.rhjunior.com/GH/00039.html as Ben points out]], a mass-produced T-shirt.
**
T-shirt. The same T-shirt appeared in a ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' page involving Victor's younger brother.
* Parodied (in an inversion of the usual parody) in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0709.html this]] ''[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick Order of the Stick]]'' this strip]] from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' strip: Tsukiko claims paladins are only happy when they're forcing people to be exactly like them. When the Monster In The in the Darkness says O-Chul told him he should make his own decisions, she replies "Right, exactly like ''he'' does! He's doing it already!"



* Parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', where a teacher tells his entire class to think for themselves. They all immediately repeat him in monotone: "Think for yourself..."
** The same exact joke was used in ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', a sister show.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' gives this one a LampshadeHanging. In one episode, some Japanese men plot to conquer the United States by brainwashing kids using a ''Pokémon''-like TV show and video game. All the kids like [[BilingualBonus "Chinpokomon"]] and go along with the evil plan to bomb Pearl Harbor primarily because it's what everyone else is doing. Eventually, the South Park adults catch on and come up with a counter-plan: the surest way to get their children to stop liking something is to like it themselves. It works. Stan then goes into his "I've learned something today" speech and praises individuality, and all the kids decide that no, they shouldn't bomb Pearl Harbor. Kyle, however, reasons that if going along with the group is bad, then now that everyone else has decided not to bomb Pearl Harbor, he should show his individuality by bombing Pearl Harbor by himself. Stan then tries again, beginning with "A group mentality is helpful sometimes." Kyle gets confused, gives up, and goes home.
** A better Aesop is, "Do what is right, even if it is popular."
** In another episode the Goth Kids performed a song in the school talent show entitled "Talent Shows are for Fags"
*** The Goth kids are this trope in the flesh. In one episode, they temporarily take Stan into their ranks. In order for him not to be a "conformist," he has to dress just like the Goth kids, act just like the Goth kids, write his poetry just like the Goth kids, and so on.
---->'''Tall Goth:''' I'm ''such'' a non-conformist, I'm not going to conform with the rest of you. I'll do it. ''[join Stan's dance troupe]''\\

to:

* Parodied in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', where a teacher tells his entire class to think for themselves. They all immediately repeat him in monotone: "Think for yourself..."
**
" The same exact joke was used in ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', a sister show.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
** The show
gives this one a LampshadeHanging. In one episode, some Japanese men plot to conquer the United States by brainwashing kids using a ''Pokémon''-like TV show and video game. All the kids like [[BilingualBonus "Chinpokomon"]] and go along with the evil plan to bomb Pearl Harbor primarily because it's what everyone else is doing. Eventually, the South Park adults catch on and come up with a counter-plan: the surest way to get their children to stop liking something is to like it themselves. It works. Stan then goes into his "I've learned something today" speech and praises individuality, and all the kids decide that no, they shouldn't bomb Pearl Harbor. Kyle, however, reasons that if going along with the group is bad, then now that everyone else has decided not to bomb Pearl Harbor, he should show his individuality by bombing Pearl Harbor by himself. Stan then tries again, beginning with "A group mentality is helpful sometimes." Kyle gets confused, gives up, and goes home.
**
home. A better Aesop is, "Do what is right, even if it is popular."
** In another episode the Goth Kids performed a song in the school talent show entitled "Talent Shows are for Fags"
***
Fags". The Goth kids are this trope in the flesh. In one episode, they temporarily take Stan into their ranks. In order for him not to be a "conformist," he has to dress just like the Goth kids, act just like the Goth kids, write his poetry just like the Goth kids, and so on.
---->'''Tall --->'''Tall Goth:''' I'm ''such'' a non-conformist, I'm not going to conform with the rest of you. I'll do it. ''[join Stan's dance troupe]''\\



* Almost every conspiracy theorist peppers his theory with requests to "think for yourself" and "form your own opinion". Obviously enough, if your own opinion does not match his own, you are either a governmental agent or just too dumb to see the Truth.
** Which leads some to the logical conclusion that conspiracy theorists are part of a ViralMarketing [[TheConspiracy government conspiracy to cause this effect on people]]. As expressed on the cover of ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Illuminati'': "Never believe in conspiracy theories - they are all a plot from the intelligentsia, to stop you from finding the truth!"

to:

* Almost every conspiracy theorist peppers his theory with requests to "think for yourself" and "form your own opinion". Obviously enough, if your own opinion does not match his own, you are either a governmental agent or just too dumb to see the Truth.
**
Truth. Which leads some to the logical conclusion that conspiracy theorists are part of a ViralMarketing [[TheConspiracy government conspiracy to cause this effect on people]]. As expressed on the cover of ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Illuminati'': "Never believe in conspiracy theories - -- they are all a plot from the intelligentsia, to stop you from finding the truth!"







Question Authority. That's an order!

to:

\nQuestion ->Question Authority. That's an order!order!
----
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None

Added DiffLines:

* Conspiracy theorist and radio host Floyd Tesseract tries his best to get the message across to his listeners in ''VideoGame/XComChimeraSquad'' that a voice on the radio is ''not'' an automatically trustworthy source.
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* This is used as a LogicBomb (among others) in ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime'' to combat the LiteralMinded and orderly Auditors of Reality - "Ignore This Sign, By Order".

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* This is used as a LogicBomb (among others) in ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime'' ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'' to combat the LiteralMinded and orderly Auditors of Reality - "Ignore This Sign, By Order".
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* [[http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/small/1005/why-question-everything-isnt-going-to-solve-anything-demotivational-poster-1273407899.jpg This]] demotivational poster.
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* A major theme in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' is a post-HeelFaceTurn Megatron dealing with the fact that he did this with the Decepticons. Down with the Senate and it’s corrupt, discriminatory ideals... now follow ''my'' corrupt, discriminatory ideals or else!

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* A major theme in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' is a post-HeelFaceTurn Megatron dealing with the fact that he did this with the Decepticons. Down with the Senate and it’s its corrupt, discriminatory ideals... now follow ''my'' corrupt, discriminatory ideals or else!
Tabs MOD

Changed: 11

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* Joked about in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', with a battle droid commander mocking the clones for not being “free thinkers, like us, right boys?”. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Cue his troops all saying “roger roger” in perfect, mindless unison.]]

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* Joked about in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', with a battle droid commander mocking the clones for not being “free thinkers, like us, right boys?”. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Cue his troops all saying “roger roger” in perfect, mindless unison.]]
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Typo


* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOX9mb7V4o This superbowl commercial]] for Motorola's ''Xoom'' tablet, meant to be a TakeThat at Apple's famous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8 "1984"]] ad. The guy is shown to be fighting the system by using the Xoom, in contrast to the legion of white-hooded apple zombies, but the inadvertent message is "Fight enslavement by this huge corporation by buying the products of this other huge corporation". Instead of a TakeThat, it becomes NotSoDiffrent instead because it's exactly the same Apple delivers in the original 1984 commercial.

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* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgOX9mb7V4o This superbowl commercial]] for Motorola's ''Xoom'' tablet, meant to be a TakeThat at Apple's famous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8 "1984"]] ad. The guy is shown to be fighting the system by using the Xoom, in contrast to the legion of white-hooded apple zombies, but the inadvertent message is "Fight enslavement by this huge corporation by buying the products of this other huge corporation". Instead of a TakeThat, it becomes NotSoDiffrent NotSoDifferent instead because it's exactly the same Apple delivers in the original 1984 commercial.
Willbyr MOD

Changed: 262

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single-panel works can't be used as page pics; see About Images And Copyright


[[quoteright:300:[[Webcomic/TheParkingLotIsFull https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/55457934024e7945ce81fdf84d6217e8.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''Just remember. You're unique. [[MindScrew Just like everyone else.]]'']]

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[[quoteright:300:[[Webcomic/TheParkingLotIsFull https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/55457934024e7945ce81fdf84d6217e8.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''Just remember. You're unique. [[MindScrew Just
%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1566855591036265000
%% Please start a new thread if you'd
like everyone else.]]'']]
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