Be a Roman..

 When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

But in Kannada we have another proverb which is slightly derogatory.

ಒಕ್ಕಣ್ಣು ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಕಣ್ಣು ಮುಚ್ಚಿಕೊಂಡು ಓಡಾಡು.

"In a country full of one eyed men, walk with one eye closed."

Wikdipedia showed me a list of similar proverbs in so many languages of the world. Which means, this is a universal concept.

Why? Why should we conform to the common customs of the people? Or to put it crudely, why should we behave as a sheep in a herd?

Is it because people do not like "others". They detest (slightly) others who do not conform to norms. They detest (strongly) who defy norms proudly.

Most often their question is "Who does he/she think himself/herself to be? How dare he/she act like this?"

OK, ok. If this norm is something "right", something your value system agrees upon, you can follow the norm. But what if you disagree? What if your value system says the path of everyone is wrong?

Let me go to the extremes. Let us say you live in a world where telling lie is like eating chocolate. It is not wrong at all. Every one does it. And it benefits the doer, let us say. So everyone lies. But you have a different opinion. You think that honesty is necessary and lying is wrong.

So should you lie because "you are in Rome"?  Or should you not lie and get into lot of troubles? And be looked down, ridiculed because of your beliefs?