Letter from the Editor

Editor: Zaara Nayak

Recently, on my long car ride back from Thanksgiving Break I found myself listening to a podcast titled “How to be a Rebel.” Shankar Vedanta of NPR’s Hidden Brain spoke to Francesco Gino, a social scientist and Harvard professor, who studies non-conformists. She talks about how people who break rules that hold them back, help create positive change. For those of you who know me –I am anything but a rebel, however – I do want to bring about positive change. So, I tuned into the podcast and here is what I learned about activating our inner rebel.

Non-conformists tend to be creative thinkers who break rules in a constructive way. They defy the status quo, foster curiosity and are mindful of things happening around them. They do not follow a script and are resistant to stereotypes and social rules that are passed down. Most importantly, rebels are comfortable with being uncomfortable and making themselves vulnerable. Sometimes breaking rules and not conforming leads to more confidence. In a social experiment Professor Gino divided students into two groups and asked them to sing “Don’t Stop Believing” while standing up in front of their classmates. One of the groups was asked to wear a bandana while singing. The non-conforming headdress made them feel even more uncomfortable. Interestingly, not only did the bandana wearing group feel more confident but they sang better too. Veering away from what is comfortable and familiar gains rebels the respect of others. Not worrying about what others are thinking helps people be more authentic and authenticity is contagious. So, let us be our most authentic selves, question the status quo and embrace our inner rebels.. And do not forget your bandanas tomorrow!