---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My prodigious sin was, and still is…"
description: "\"My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist. Although I am not a Communist I refused to fall in line by hating them.\" — Charlie Chaplin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/charlie-chaplin-1779_communist_my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being_2695117.jpg"
---

#  My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a…

![“My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist. Although I am not a Communist I refused to fall in line by hating them.” quote by Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/charlie-chaplin-1779_communist_my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being_2695117.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/charlie-chaplin-1779_communist_my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being_2695117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/charlie-chaplin-1779_communist_my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being_2695117.jpg)

> “My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist. Although I am not a Communist I refused to fall in line by hating them.”

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Being a non‑conformist is a sin, yet it reflects personal integrity against conformity.

**In simple terms:** Non‑conformity can be a moral burden.

Key Takeaway

Embrace individuality while respecting others.

Themes

individuality conformity politics

Mood

reflective provocative

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- artistic expression
- political activism
- social movements

Key Concepts

non‑conformity personal ethics social pressure

Questions to Reflect On

- When is conformity necessary?
- How to balance personal beliefs with societal norms?

A Different Perspective

Non‑conformity may alienate or cause conflict.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) [Communist Refused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist-refused-492378/) [Conformist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformist/) [Conformist Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformist-communist-492376/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Non conformist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-conformist/) [Prodigious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prodigious/) [Prodigious Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prodigious-sin-2364761/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/)

## Related quotes

> [Friends have asked how I came to engender this American antagonism. My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist. Although I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/friends-have-asked-how-i-came-to-engender-this-american-antagonism-my/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being-a-non-conformist/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [You can’t be a non-conformist if you don’t wear the proper uniform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-l-chalker/you-can-t-be-a-non-conformist-if-you-don-t-wear-the-proper-uniform/)

[Jack L. Chalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-l-chalker/)

> [I don't think playing it safe constitutes a retreat, necessarily. In other words, I don't think if, by playing safe he means we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-serling/i-don-t-think-playing-it-safe-constitutes-a-retreat-necessarily-in/)

[Rod Serling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-serling/)

> [If children were brought up to become non-conformists it would only ruin their lives. So parents all over China who loved their children told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jung-chang/if-children-were-brought-up-to-become-non-conformists-it-would-only/)

[Jung Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jung-chang/)

> [A free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/a-free-society-cherishes-nonconformity-it-knows-from-the-non/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

> [Why is it that all non-conformists look the same?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/why-is-it-that-all-non-conformists-look-the-same/)

[Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/)

> [I learned the word non-conformist in fourth grade and immediately announced that I would grow up to become one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-learned-the-word-non-conformist-in-fourth-grade-and-immediately/)

[Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/)

> [All my close friends are non-conformist. To say 'misfits' sounds bad, but there is something positive about being a little on the outside -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-renck/all-my-close-friends-are-non-conformist-to-say-misfits-sounds-bad-but/)

[Johan Renck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-renck/)

> [(...the non-conformist, how do you keep from getting scarred?)/i don’t! i got a scar here…and uh i got a scar on my knee…and uh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-brando/the-non-conformist-how-do-you-keep-from-getting-scarred-i-don-t-i-got/)

[Marlon Brando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-brando/)

> [I feel like, in many ways, Billie Holiday's still very under-appreciated as an artist. People focus on her voice, and all of the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-james/i-feel-like-in-many-ways-billie-holiday-s-still-very-under/)

[Jose James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-james/)

> [A non-conformist will never feel like he's any part of a clique or a group. And that's the life I signed up for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harshvardhan-kapoor/a-non-conformist-will-never-feel-like-he-s-any-part-of-a-clique-or-a/)

[Harshvardhan Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harshvardhan-kapoor/)

> [Woe to him inside a non-conformist clique who does not conform to non-conformity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/woe-to-him-inside-a-non-conformist-clique-who-does-not-conform-to-non/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [It's the non-conformist who gives color to history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-fuldheim/it-s-the-non-conformist-who-gives-color-to-history/)

[Dorothy Fuldheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-fuldheim/)

> [The American people...have a stake in non-conformity. For they know that the American genius is non-conformist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/the-american-people-have-a-stake-in-non-conformity-for-they-know-that/)

[Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/)

## More by Charlie Chaplin

> [The people are applauding you because none of them understands you and applauding me because everybody understands me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-people-are-applauding-you-because-none-of-them-understands-you/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [I am not religious in the dogmatic sense ... I neither believe nor disbelieve in anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-am-not-religious-in-the-dogmatic-sense-i-neither-believe-nor/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/even-when-i-was-in-the-orphanage-when-i-was-roaming-the-street-trying/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [You are only as good as the woman you are standing beside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/you-are-only-as-good-as-the-woman-you-are-standing-beside/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [my lips never know my problem they just always smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-lips-never-know-my-problem-they-just-always-smile/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [“Vosotros no sois ganado, no sois máquinas, sois Hombres.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/vosotros-no-sois-ganado-no-sois-m-quinas-sois-hombres/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [Moving pictures need sound as much as Beethoven symphonies need lyrics,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/moving-pictures-need-sound-as-much-as-beethoven-symphonies-need-lyrics/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [Time is the best author. It always writes the perfect ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/time-is-the-best-author-it-always-writes-the-perfect-ending/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/in-this-world-there-is-room-for-everyone-and-the-good-earth-is-rich/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the headless monster, a great, brutish idiot that goes where prodded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-as-an-individual-is-a-genius-but-men-in-the-mass-form-the/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [The irony in life doing the wrong thing at the right moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-irony-in-life-doing-the-wrong-thing-at-the-right-moment/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [Man is an animal with primary instincts of survival. Consequently his ingenuity has developed first and his soul afterwards. The progress of science is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-is-an-animal-with-primary-instincts-of-survival-consequently-his/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [I don't need interesting camera angles, I am interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-don-t-need-interesting-camera-angles-i-am-interesting/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [Nothing in life is permanent, not even one's troubles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/nothing-in-life-is-permanent-not-even-one-s-troubles/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

> [What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning. Desire is the theme of life. The meaning of anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/what-do-you-want-a-meaning-for-life-is-a-desire-not-a-meaning-desire/)

[Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

[Explore all 199 Charlie Chaplin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/)

## More Communist quotes

> [ Corruption could lead to the collapse of the Party \[Communist Party of China\] and the downfall of the state \[People's Republic of China\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/corruption-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-the-party-communist-party-of/)

[Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/)

> [If the director's a communist, whatever, he's a communist. All I care is that he directs. For the actor, the same thing. All you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/if-the-director-s-a-communist-whatever-he-s-a-communist-all-i-care-is/)

[Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/)

> [The most effective method of propaganda directed at the enemy forces is to release captured soldiers and give the wounded medical treatment... Whenever soldiers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/the-most-effective-method-of-propaganda-directed-at-the-enemy-forces/)

[Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/)

> [I am like all other atheists only in that I do not believe there are any gods. Beyond that, I may differ dramatically in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carrier/i-am-like-all-other-atheists-only-in-that-i-do-not-believe-there-are/)

[Richard Carrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carrier/)

> [What we need in South Africa is for egos to be suppressed in favour of peace. We need to create a new breed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hani/what-we-need-in-south-africa-is-for-egos-to-be-suppressed-in-favour/)

[Chris Hani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hani/)

> [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [The ultimate goal of the whole policy of peaceful co-existence was to make progress on the basic goal laid down by Lenin of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nitze/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-whole-policy-of-peaceful-co-existence-was-to/)

[Paul Nitze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nitze/)

> [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [ That's why we had Louis C.K. portray the harder line Communist, to accuse \[Dalton\] Trumbo of being a hypocrite. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/that-s-why-we-had-louis-c-k-portray-the-harder-line-communist-to/)

[Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/)

> [... what we should be looking for is fresh ideas of how we make moral decisions about our dealings with one another, economic, social,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-mccaughey/what-we-should-be-looking-for-is-fresh-ideas-of-how-we-make-moral/)

[Davis McCaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-mccaughey/)

> [My father, Charles Seeger, got me into the Communist movement. He backed out around '38. I drifted out in the 50's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/my-father-charles-seeger-got-me-into-the-communist-movement-he-backed/)

[Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/)

> [We must protect each other against the attacks of those self-appointed watchdogs of patriotism now abroad in the land who irresponsibly pin red labels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-henry-hildebrand/we-must-protect-each-other-against-the-attacks-of-those-self/)

[Joel Henry Hildebrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-henry-hildebrand/)

> [This time we'll hate, alright - but we'll hate the enemy - the vicious gang of colored scum attackers and Jewish-Communist traitors - rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lincoln-rockwell/this-time-we-ll-hate-alright-but-we-ll-hate-the-enemy-the-vicious/)

[George Lincoln Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lincoln-rockwell/)

> [Fidel Castro outlasted U.S. presidents determined to overthrow him, survived the collapse of the communist bloc that sustained him and outlived many of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-gjelten/fidel-castro-outlasted-u-s-presidents-determined-to-overthrow-him/)

[Tom Gjelten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-gjelten/)

> [Communists all seem to wear small caps, a look I consider better suited to tubes of toothpaste than to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communists-all-seem-to-wear-small-caps-a-look-i-consider-better/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

[Browse all 1,048 Communist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist. Although I am not a Communist I refused to fall in line by hating them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charlie Chaplin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being-a-non-conformist-although-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being-a-non-conformist-although-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/charlie-chaplin-1779_communist_my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being_2695117.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/charlie-chaplin-1779_communist_my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being_2695117.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/charlie-chaplin-1779_communist_my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being_2695117.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My prodigious sin was, and still is, being a non-conformist. Although I am not a Communist I refused to fall…” — Charlie Chaplin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Charlie Chaplin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My prodigious sin was, and still...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being-a-non-conformist-although-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-prodigious-sin-was-and-still-is-being-a-non-conformist-although-i/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
