Nonconformity is defined as the failure or refusal to conform, such as to established customs, attitudes, or ideas. A nonconformist is a person or thing that chooses not to conform to established customs or ideas. This person will bring positive or negative change no matter what. Galileo Galilei is an example of a maverick who brought positive change through nonconformism. Galileo Galileo was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and physicist, most famous for the modernization of astronomy and his theory that the Earth was not the center of the universe. Even though Galileo was criticized and called a heretic, he stood strong in what he knew was right in an act of civil disobedience. Galileo was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564. Galileo was the first child of Vincenzo Galilei and Giulia Ammannati. . His family moved to Florence, Italy after living for ten years in Pisa. In Florence, he studied at the Camaldolese monastery of Vallombrosa. Later in life he decided to study medicine at the University of Pisa. Wh...