"He who integrates is lost"

In this quote, Theodor Adorno is recommending that blindly complying with social standards and expectations can cause a loss of specific identity. By "integrating," he implies absorbing oneself into the dominant culture and abandoning one's own unique beliefs and values. Adorno believed that this type of conformity threatened since it suppressed vital thinking and creativity. He believed that true freedom and self-discovery could just be accomplished by resisting social pressures and remaining true to oneself. Therefore, according to Adorno, those who adhere and incorporate into society are ultimately lost due to the fact that they have actually compromised their individuality and end up being mere reproductions of the dominant culture.