But I learn that, although paradise may not exist on a tropical island, or in a culture as a whole, or in a far-flung society of native woods people, it survives on the island of the human heart, in countless immeasurable ways. This theme doesn't come out nearly as corny-sounding in the book. Another theme in the book is that we have a duty to follow our hearts, to live out our dreams, to express as fully as possible who we are as individuals. In Fiji, I encountered people who were lovely and generous and living entirely social lives, and, on the surface, cheerful, fulfilling lives. But, they were also terribly afraid to be themselves, to be individuals.
Individuality is impolite in many cultures.
People simply don't express diverging opinions from the group. For a North American this is almost impossible to grasp. Our western individuality leads to all kinds of problems, but I have also come to believe in it. We're disappointing powerful forces and ourselves if we ignore this calling. Nature craves diversity, not conformity.