“A man is what he wills himself to be”, said Jean-Paul Sartre. I really do admire characters that live by their own rules. They determine their own fate, forging their own destiny with their hands.
Living by your own rules conjures the image of Jack Sparrow, a person with a cavalier attitude, living for the moment, making plans as he goes along.

But surely not all who live by their own rules are social deviants?

What if the rules you choose to live by is similar to society’s norm? Then, to any observer, you are merely complacent to society’s standard. However, I believe there is a huge difference between those who are complacent in following and those who willingly choose to follow, even if both look the same.