We would go crazy if everyone did whatever they  wished  to  do.  Some
genius solved  the  problem  with  society,  which  attempts  to  cure  more
headaches than it gives. But the cost of  this  treatment  is  high,  taking
precious freedom and independence away  from  the  individual.  Forcing  the
individual to work for the  benefit  of  the  group  contradicts  the  basic
nature of humans to live for themselves.  The  challenge  in  balancing  the
rights of the individual with the interests of the  group  is  difficult  to
meet. To achieve harmony in a society, compromise is  essential,  giving  no
one everything they want. Fighting for more than  what  one  receives  in  a
compromise will occur naturally from unavoidable greed and selfishness.
Aslaksen from  "An  Enemy  of  the  People"  by  Henrik  Ibsen  believes  in
moderation to achieve what one desires. "Proceed with moderation  or  you'll
get nowhere," the printer asserts. If an  individual  lives  in  a  society,
then one must live with the society, where everyone works together  for  the
welfare of the group. Without the support of the people,  nothing  could  be
done in a society and an individual  might  as  well  not  be  part  of  the
society. The benefits of moderation allow an individual to grasp  his  goals
slowly without much risk  to  the  individual.  Since  the  average  citizen
defines what is "moderate," moderation guarantees an individual the  company
of willing comrades to share the experience, whether good or bad.  Following
the masses assures  that  one  has  the  majority  supporting  him  or  her.
Proceeding on the middle path, the path that others are on,  makes  us  feel
safer. Although that path may not be any safer  or  more  correct  than  any
other path, it makes us feel safe that we have  someone  to  blame  for  our
misfortunes.
But we can not forget ourselves. One can only live  for  oneself.  Thinking,
though difficult, is imperative for life. Unfortunately,  these  independent
minded people are frequently the ones that are  banished  and,  in  general,
not accepted by society. Society does not look highly upon extremists for  a
very simple reason: they are different. The masses determine what should  be
right, and any argument to the contrary is wrong. Giving up one's  right  to
radical ideas with Aslaksen's philosophy of moderation, though  less  risky,
is a life-killer. I can live and die, you can live and die, and  a  rat  can
live and die. Letting the flow of society  carry  you  along  belittles  the
meaning in life. We might as well  be  rats,  with  nothing  better  to  do.
Sometimes rat poison just is not strong enough, and extreme measures are
needed. Moderation, though appropriate at times, lacks the impetus that
drives the risk-taker. Although most iconoclasts are never heard from
again, some become the next Napoleon or Mrs. Lilly. Is it not worth the
risk to take an undefined path, which may lead to a pleasant new land? At
least trying to get somewhere or, even, nowhere is more interesting than
standing here.