Transcendentalism is a concept of being true to one’s self, above all else. It’s the belief in living each day as though it’s the last, and always believing in one’s abilities and dreams. Individualism and unique qualities are among the highest priorities in life, and as long as one keeps society’s opinions from influencing their own, they can feel free to live the life they choose. In the fictional society of Transcentopia, those ideas are pushed to the forefront of government, work, education, and almost every part of culture. Between focusing greatly on the arts in schools, styles being completely different, but all completely acceptable, and jobs being diverse, the society in Transcentopia is anything but conformist. The question of whether or not the city would survive in the real world, once applied to actual reality, is a difficult one. There are many unrealistic ideas that are put into the society, but as to how they are handled, and maintained, the possibility of the city’s survival is viable. A city like Transcentopia could, if supported correctly, survive, despite the regularly-occurring conformist thoughts in the world.
To completely eliminate compliance among people in a society is unrealistic, because people will always find a way to conform. People who have idols often mimic their ways of behaving, whether it is the way they talk, dress, or act. When people see something they really like, they will try to duplicate it, or be the same way. In that sense, conformity is nearly inevitable, to some degree. Moreover, whether or not it is intentionally, society influences ideas, trends, and behaviors every day. From trendy words or phrases to fashion styles and common activities, people feel a sense of pressure to do what most of society is doing. Especially in the circumstance where someone has not yet developed their own opinion of something, they will look to the opinion of others’ as a guideline. While conformity is difficult to entirely eradicate, transcendentalism doesn’t necessarily call for exclusive inimitability, but rather, the promotion of individual ideas.
The idea of the encouragement of thoughts and dreams can easily be achieved, as long as it is continually preached. In Transcentopia, there are laws against conformity and bullying, and traditions don’t exist. If a society spends its resources focusing on the idea that the highest form of achievement isn’t wealth, or beauty, or popularity, but true passion, courage, and devotion to one’s beliefs, then transcendentalism will come along with that. The idea of looking up to idols, such as celebrities, can be used to the advantage of the transcendental ideas. By having the press focus on the personality traits of celebrities, rather than net worth or appearance, people will be more confident in reaching for that independence within themselves. The self confidence that those in the spotlight have will outweigh their talent or beauty. It will show people that even if they aren’t the best at something, they can still make it big in the world, and live their dream.
Money’s influence over the jobs people take in society today won’t exist in this Transcendentalist society. Once that is taken out of the picture, people will feel more in charge of their own life. The pressure from parents, other adults, and even peers to go for certain professions no longer exists. Each job is paid equally, depending on the number of hours and effort put into the work. Furthermore, the problem of economic classes dividing people socially and emotionally will collapse. Friendships will not be made between rich and poor, but between people with common interests. This will help people to work together amongst friendships to make the most of their passions and talents. Money will also keep from influencing love, and people will not try to falsify feelings for one another based on someone’s wealth, but rather, their true personalities.
Biological differences, such as sexual orientation, height, or weight, will always be accepted. While people will be free to have their own personal belief, religious or otherwise, about what is right and wrong when it comes to homosexuality, it is forbidden to publicly display their dislike. While health is strongly promoted, thinness is not, so there is no pressure put on people to be stick-skinny. Eating disorders are taken just as seriously as any other sickness, and the friends and family of those who have them are brought up to be very encouraging of recuperation. Television shows and movies are forbidden from showing a convoluted idea of the world, and there must be a variety of weights and heights among actors. That way, people do not idolize tall, thin actors, but rather, a variety of appearances.
Regardless of someone’s sexual orientation, height, weight, appearance, personality, or job, people are all treated the same way. In real life’s society today, that idea seems highly unrealistic, and perhaps even impossible. But when broken down into the true reasons for discrimination, prejudice, and bias in the world, the problems aren’t as unfathomable as they appear. The elimination of the press’ influence, the depiction of realistic life in television shows and movies, and the encouragement of individualism all work together to help the dream of widespread transcendentalism come true, in a realistic, highly potential way. When the basic forms of bullying, bigotry, and intolerance are eliminated from a very young age, and all ages work extremely hard to practice transcendentalism ways, hatred and inequity can be removed from the world altogether. The common-sense values in the world today, such as respecting elders and going to school, will be broadened to include other very important things that are often overlooked. This includes noncomformity, uniqueness, and living up to one’s true potential.
