According to May, a healthy, authentic person exercises his or her freedom to ignore
the expectations for his or her behavior imposed by others and thus often acting
contrary to traditions or conventions. Going against tradition causes anxiety, but it is
normal anxiety and conducive to personal growth. In contrast, neurotic anxiety occurs
when a person lives his or her life by conforming to traditions or the expectations of
others without choosing those lifestyles for him-/herself. This type of anxiety is not
conducive to personal growth.