I think it must be a lot easier to be a weird misfit now than it was in 1935. In Columbia, SC in the 1990's, all of us misfits hung out with each other. We had

I think it must be a lot easier to be a weird misfit now than it was in 1935. In Columbia, SC in the 1990's, all of us misfits hung out with each other. We had wildly diverse world views. We even had heated arguments with each other at times. However, we were all vaguely united in our being non-mainstream. If there were cliques, they could have their own gatherings without any outsiders, but we also shared lots of spaces. The only people ever ostracized were the Nazi Punks. However, the World Music folks, eastern religion/woo enthusiasts, Old Timey music people, Rude Boys/Rude Girls, metalheads, punks (of several varieties), alternative music crowd, Harley motorbike enthusiasts, some of the Baptist street preachers/missionaries, neo-hippies, actual hippies, etc...we all hung out at the same cafes and music venues. In the 21st century Bay Area, I find a lot more cliquishness of a particular aggressive, conformist kind. There can be this kind of quizzing/seeking for what you "really think," which might well be followed by judgments based on shallow outward signifiers and even outright verbal aggression. In years past, I never experienced something like that, outside of certain of the most intolerant religious/homophobic/ethnic zealots, usually sparked off by my appearance and/or ethnicity. Subdivisions In the high school halls In the shopping malls Conform or be cast out Subdivisions In the basement bars In the backs of cars Be cool or be cast out