We have to become aware of a role to realize that we are conforming to it. We fall into a lot of roles without even realizing we're doing it. We aren't responsible for this, because there is only choice when there is realization. I've known two people in my whole life who seemed immune to roles, and equally unable to recognize them in others. EVERYONE else has had to struggle with them. Many roles seem innocuous, because they are default patterns in a family, or a larger group, or a whole society, but they carry the implications of a lot of attitudes with them. Unlike the followers of social psychology, which I think is a bunch of rubbish, I don't think it's just a question of using one of the multitude of available roles. I think it is possible to live as a creative being, true to oneself (that real self that is the essence of our beings, not the conglomerate self we've built up over the years). But unless we have the peace of mind to each find the voice that IS speaking in us, we won't have anything to hold up as a contrast to all the patterns we've been trained to follow, and we won't be able to see them. Some societies (no names mentioned) have a lot more background noise than others, making it harder to hear that voice.
