march to the beat of one's own drum
Follow personal rhythm
To march to the beat of one's own drum is to live or act according to one's own values and inclinations rather than conforming to social expectations.
The phrase suggests independence of spirit—someone who doesn't follow the crowd: She's always marched to the beat of her own drum, wearing what she wants regardless of fashion.
Also appears as march to a different drummer.
- genuinenessQuality of being real
- innovationCreating something original
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
think outside the box · rugged individualism · defiance · individuality · originality · freedom · counterculture · trailblazing · blaze a trail · iconoclasm · unconventionality · free spirit · lone wolf · self-determination · identity · own path · maverick · wild card
march to the beat of one's own drumconform
Behave as expected
follow the crowd · go with the flow · toe the line · fall in line · keep up with the Joneses
march to the beat of one's own drumfollower
One who supports another
sheep · lemming · conformist · people-pleaser · pushover
march to the beat of one's own drumfollow in someone's footsteps
Pursue another's career path
imitate · ape · parrot · mimic · jump on the bandwagon
marches, marched, marching, marcher, marchers, beaten, beater, beaters