march to one's own drum
Ignore conventional expectations
To march to one's own drum is to act according to one's own beliefs or inclinations rather than following convention or conforming to others' expectations.
The phrase, sometimes expanded to march to the beat of a different drummer, suggests independence that may be admired or criticized depending on context: She's always marched to her own drum—never cared what anyone thought.
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- go against the grainOppose prevailing tendencies
- unconventionalityDeparture from accepted standards
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- originalityNovel creative quality
think outside the box · color outside the lines · self-reliance · contrarianism · uniqueness · self-expression · individuality · pioneering · free spirit · wild card · maverick · authenticity · iconoclasm · self-determination · lone wolf · eccentric · visionary · renegade
march to one's own drumfollow the crowd
Adopt majority behavior
conform · toe the line · go with the flow · fall in line · run with the pack
march to one's own drumimitate
Reproduce another's behavior
jump on the bandwagon · mimic · parrot · ape · follow in someone's footsteps
march to one's own drumfollow orders
kowtow · submit · defer · obey · capitulate
march, marches, marched, marching, marcher, marchers, owners, drummed, drumming