Where?

Can somebody please tell me what happened to all the free thinkers? I can remember a time in my life when people did things for the satisfaction of themselves and not the approval of other people. A time where minds were free to question any variable in life, regardless of tradition or history. Somewhere during my 19 years under these stars, people started to "evolve" into straight line thinkers. A straight line thinker is an individual that will only see an aspect in one view. If something funny happens to a mass group of people, then it's funny to that person. Basically they have no opinion of their own, but fall in line with what others say. These people are the people you see in cults or follow every fashion/trend or live by the words of Lil Wayne, Jeezy, or any other individual that is not a religious deity. In consequence, straight line thinkers usually live in misery and depression. The Bible even says in Romans chapter 12 verse 2,

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Even God Himself says be not conformed to the ways of the world. Straight line thinkers think they should have credit for every idea because new ideas in their narrow minds are rare.

What happened to all the free thinkers? Does age act as kryponite to the super human strength of free thinkers minds? What powers did W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, Gandhi, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis, Stockley Carmichael, Malcolm X, MLK Jr., Jackie Robinson, Emmit Teale's mother, Rosa Parks, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Nietzsche, Shakespeare, Jesus, and many other unnamed free thinkers have to not be overcome with temptation to conform to this world? Was it that they wore lead body suits to protect them from the evil essence of kryptonite? Or did they take one of Phizers countless drugs to keep their sane mind? Or was it simply that they took every opinion as an opinion and NOT fact like so many people of this time do? Maybe if people would educate themselves art would never be banned, free thinkers would not conform for the inheritance of a quick dollar, writers would not fear writing the truth, liberating musicians would not be considered strange, people would actually listen instead of judge, or maybe people would actually give a fuck about other people. But what do I know, I just think for myself.