What gives you a sense of identity?

Mr Dio, if i'm not wrong, said that being different (rather than being the same) gives us a sense of identity. That's what that drives some (not all) feminists, emos, rebels, and etc. They want to present themselves as unique individuals, hence they adopt certain traits in an attempt to distinguish themselves from "the unthinking conformists".

However, if you think about it, these seemingly nonconformists are actually conformists. How many people have no complaints against authoritative figures? How many do not angst about the current state of society? Aren't these nonconformists actually repeating the popular views, and doesn't this therefore mark them as conformists?