star-dusted said (among other things): "All you say is true. But we live with others and the acceptance of the group is necessary for survival at least to a certain extent."

It's a question of timing. First, you accept yourself as you are, warts and all, as you really are. THEN you find a group that accepts you as you have found you really are. NOT the other way around. Any group that rejects you as you really are is no group you really want to be part of, however much you admire them and long to be one of them.

It's true that usually one finds the group first, and then tries to fit in with their opinions and standards. But that's just a guarantee of pain and misery. Have the guts to find out what you yourself really like, prefer, choose, want, dream of. Not based on other people's preferences or choices or wants. It takes a while, but you'll be a lot happier when you find a group to fit you rather than trying to fit in with any old group.