--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had some measure of the infuriating…" description: "\"He had some measure of the infuriating trait that causes a young man to be a nonconformist for its own sake and found that the surest way to shock most..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/neal-stephenson-362_behavior_he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-t_2685328.jpg" --- # He had some measure of the infuriating trait that causes a… ![“He had some measure of the infuriating trait that causes a young man to be a nonconformist for its own sake and found that the surest way to shock most people, in those days, was to believe that some kinds of behavior were bad and others good, and that it was reasonable to live one's life…” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/neal-stephenson-362_behavior_he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-t_2685328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/neal-stephenson-362_behavior_he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-t_2685328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/neal-stephenson-362_behavior_he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-t_2685328.jpg) > “He had some measure of the infuriating trait that causes a young man to be a nonconformist for its own sake and found that the surest way to shock most people, in those days, was to believe that some kinds of behavior were bad and others good, and that it was reasonable to live one's life accordingly.” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A rebellious spirit can shock society by judging behavior as good or bad and living accordingly. **In simple terms:** Nonconformity challenges norms. Key Takeaway Embrace personal values over social pressure. Themes nonconformity morality social pressure Mood defiant reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - college activism - artistic expression - political protest - personal branding Key Concepts ethical relativism identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How does judging behavior affect relationships? - When is it beneficial to challenge norms? A Different Perspective May alienate others and limit collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Infuriating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infuriating/) [Infuriating Trait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infuriating-trait-2614509/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Man Nonconformist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-nonconformist-609144/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nonconformist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonconformist/) [Nonconformist Sake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonconformist-sake-2614510/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sake/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Trait Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trait-causes-2614511/) [Traits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traits/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [To be a man is to be a nonconformist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/to-be-a-man-is-to-be-a-nonconformist/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In his essay 'Self-Reliance' Emerson wrote, 'Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.' The Apostle Paul reminds us that whoso would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/in-his-essay-self-reliance-emerson-wrote-whoso-would-be-a-man-must-be/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/whoso-would-be-a-man-must-be-a-nonconformist-he-who-would-gather/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/whoso-would-be-a-man-must-be-a-nonconformist/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“True discipline means channeling our best hours into first-order objectives, and that means being a nonconformist in the best sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/true-discipline-means-channeling-our-best-hours-into-first-order/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [Scratch me and you will find the Nonconformist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austen-chamberlain/scratch-me-and-you-will-find-the-nonconformist/) [Austen Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austen-chamberlain/) > [“I can see better when i close my eyes; don't make much ado, that's my latest style of view.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/i-can-see-better-when-i-close-my-eyes-don-t-make-much-ado-that-s-my/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Too often an institution serves to bless the majority opinion. Today when too many move to the rhythmic beat of the status quo, whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/too-often-an-institution-serves-to-bless-the-majority-opinion-today/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I remember at school one day there was a vocabulary list on the chalkboard, and the word 'nonconformist' was on there, and it said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-nokia/i-remember-at-school-one-day-there-was-a-vocabulary-list-on-the/) [Princess Nokia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-nokia/) > [“As a youth, I was too sunny and filled with the milk of human kindness to be able to comprehend such a bitter moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-wright-2/as-a-youth-i-was-too-sunny-and-filled-with-the-milk-of-human-kindness/) [John C Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-wright-2/) > [“The simplistic way of not conforming is to see what is in style in our culture and then do the opposite. If short hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/the-simplistic-way-of-not-conforming-is-to-see-what-is-in-style-in/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [One radical free spirit nonconformist is pretty much like another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/one-radical-free-spirit-nonconformist-is-pretty-much-like-another/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [I've always been a nonconformist. I think that nonconformity is part of the American DNA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-miller/i-ve-always-been-a-nonconformist-i-think-that-nonconformity-is-part/) [Stephen Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-miller/) > [The first step in freeing yourself from social restrictions is the realization that there is no such thing as a safe code of conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-first-step-in-freeing-yourself-from-social-restrictions-is-the/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [Imagine what it must be like for teenagers who don't feel they have room to breathe in their own homes. If you are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-robbins/imagine-what-it-must-be-like-for-teenagers-who-don-t-feel-they-have/) [Alexandra Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-robbins/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. 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Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He had some measure of the infuriating trait that causes a young man to be a nonconformist for its own sake and found that the surest way to shock most people, in those days, was to believe that some kinds of behavior were bad and others good, and that it was reasonable to live one's life accordingly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-trait-that-causes-a-young-man/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behavior" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-trait-that-causes-a-young-man/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/neal-stephenson-362_behavior_he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-t_2685328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/neal-stephenson-362_behavior_he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-t_2685328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c0/neal-stephenson-362_behavior_he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-t_2685328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He had some measure of the infuriating trait that causes a young man to be a nonconformist for its own sake…” — Neal Stephenson", "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": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He had some measure of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-trait-that-causes-a-young-man/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-had-some-measure-of-the-infuriating-trait-that-causes-a-young-man/#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 } } ] } ```