Conformity is the act of converging to the standards that are established by society; the group norm. This is set by what at the time is deemed as “socially acceptable.” It can refer to compliance with an established set of rules, standards (behaviors), or laws. And the fact that we feel societal pressure exists, just goes to show how many conformists there are around us.
This pressure to conform to the widely-held norm can prompt people to change their actions (speech or behavior), or even their inner thoughts and reasoning.
It doesn't take any special skill, effort, or courage, to conform to what everyone else around you dictates that you should do. Some might find it a lot easier just to let others do their thinking for them. But this then doesn't seem like it would breed any sort of out-of-the-box thinking, creativity, or intellectual integrity.
Imagine if no one ever voiced a divergent thought, ever tried to strive for something different which might be better than what we know now, but first takes the courage to explore.
Many people who have made our lives better throughout human history, have been individuals who weren't afraid to uphold their own intellectual reasoning despite pressures from the external world to conform in either word or deed.
Can we really blame those who kneel to the external pressures to conform?
After all, it's “normal” to want to seek acceptance from others, to deal with this insecurity, because many associate this with their personal value. If you are “different” and outcast from the group, it's a lot harder for someone to feel good about themselves or to feel like they can provide value to others; that they are valuable.
I'd say then that it takes a lot of courage to want to stick with your gut, when a number of external pressures are trying to convince you to do otherwise.
At the time maybe you might get labeled as a “radical” but maybe in a few years or decades, people might look back and instead appreciate the sacrifice that was made in daring to go against the herd.
There have been a number of studies conducted throughout the years which have sought to investigate the affinity of humans to want to conform to the group. And a number of them have been quite disturbing in revealing how far some people are willing to take it, in sacrificing their own sense of reason so as to not position themselves as separate from whatever is perceived to be the “norm” at the time.
When we cave to adopting the beliefs and standards of others, then we are sacrificing our own personal integrity.
At times, conforming can act as a survival strategy however.
So revolting for the sake of revolting isn't always going to be a wise idea. Take for example, those who are sentenced to time behind bars, it can greatly increase their chances of survival if they quickly adapt to their surroundings and learn how to conform to the group setting. Or when you start a new job you might want to conform to the rules there so as not to get fired. There are times then when it can provide us benefit and doesn't seem like we are intellectually sacrificing much then, that instead we are gaining much more. Therefore, it's better to go against the pressure when we have a good reason to.
We deal with conformity in many areas.
Conformity is arguably institutionally indoctrinated throughout our society and it's difficult to go against that because it is more difficult to stand on your own than it is to fall in line with the group.
But we should be thankful for those who have dared to stand on their own, who have displayed the courage to explore their own ideas and creativity; even if the world didn't understand it at the time. Even if they still don't. They are the ones who push us to try and be better and achieve more, to think about things in a new way, to go about trying things differently than we do now.
Independence, individuality, and personal integrity are, I believe, important things to foster. And I don't think it provides any benefit to society in trying to stunt these areas in any way. Quite the opposite, I think that would be quite a detriment to society.
Daring to question what we are told or the way that we see things operating around us now, can foster imagination and bring about something better for ourselves that we didn't even know was possible. It can prompt and foster open and healthy discussions, and challenge us so as to promote intellectual growth.
What is easy isn't always what is best. And we don't have to let fear force us to conform to the patterns of this world, adopting the ideals that others say should be established for us. And sometimes when we dare to follow our own individuality, we can inspire others too to follow theirs.
Pics:
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Chris Madden
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Sources:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-psychology-of-conformity/251371/
http://bit.ly/1f6oO21
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-psychology-of-conformity/251371/
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There is way too much risk for most people to go against the tide. This is the same reason why sheep flock together and why birds travel in packs. Every bird, every sheep, thinks that there is safety in numbers but this is an illusion. In fact this is one of the oldest perceptual biases in the book of evolution.
Packs attract predators much more and one is bound to be more exposed rather than being alone. Free association here is key.
SOLID post. And worth reading twice for many reasons. I like this:
Even in my own life, I have observed this to be so true.
A wise lady once told me: If you have to choose between the easy and right, always choose the right. It is making more sense as I grow older.
Easy and effective read. I guess the sacrifice that many have to make as unconformists is loneliness, it's easy to see the potential of a person just from a conversation with them, especially n this information driven age people are filled with ideas but lack the courage to commit to them. Hopefully one day the conformist will only be seen in the shadow. Those who do not act are just as bad as the perpetrators
Will be sure to follow, keep these coming
This post speaks me a lot. In one of my past lifes, I didn’t have the courage to be myself, to go outside the society standards. The result ? I was unhappy. Worse: I destroyed myself ! That destruction translated to serious disease … I think now that I needed that disease to see the true, to be myself, to be who I really was: divergent. I am still seriously ill but I am evolving and it is not easy in the society we are living in, but I know it’s the way I must take. PS: upvoted, resteemed and following you ;-)
Yes, it's like a collective destruction that we are experiencing, through the inability to commit to our goals even though we can so blatantly see them, I hope you get much better soon, I'm sure you will you find your track. Will follow
Maybe we need destruction in order to appreciate good things. I really hope I'll get better soon. It's been awhile I am not okay but I try to stay positive as much as I can. Thanks for your support.
I am in my twenties and I wonder about the implications of conformity and joining a "movement to change the world." Military recruit people at 18 for a reason. What do you think about this?
Great post, sadly so few dare to leave the comfort zone..but those that do are the innovators, the thinkers that extend the zone so that others may benefit without experiencing the discomfort and exclusion for themselves.
Another excellent post mate!
We, the steemit community, are the non-conformists. ...and if that's the label we'll be brandished with then I'll wear mine with pride!!!
How come I can't see a comment section? I can't comment on the main thred...
You can, just go to the reply bit immediately below the bloggers tags on the main article
Cheers, I'll have a look
Very cool post. I've studied this subject a bit too, mostly because of my involvement in the precious metals sector. Trying to figure out why people do things regardless of what the fundamentals tell us is aggravating, until you learn that it's not about the fundamentals. It's about the mob.
Mob mentality is a powerful thing. We don't realize it with day to day things unless we have a tendency toward non-conformity and/or being a contrarian. Few are those who really possess the fortitude though.
When the mob is doing something more momentous, the pull to conform can be almost palpable. People report doing things they claim to be totally contrary to their character due to being caught up in the mob. This can include anything from acts of immorality to drug use to sex to rioting to whatever.
It's also what causes market bubbles. The tops are completely irrational, based on momentum indicative of a mob. The same goes for crashes. A good market contrarian can get very wealthy being able to measure the mob. This is what Elliott Wave Theory proposes to accomplish, perceiving waves of the mob as it builds momentum, before the crowd realizes they're going over the cliff.
"What is easy isn't always what is best." Thanks for reminding me! Love the Emerson quote.
Actual society is mainly conformist and has a root in people imitating the dominant behaviors as well as the forces of the system that are modeling them.
In actual society, conformism is turning into a mass behavior and social tolerance to deviant dissident ideas or behaviors.
Dissidence behaviors or groups today is used to by the power to aggregate a majority and control their destinies using outside "escape-goats".
For the conformist society is not people in the interaction that exchange influence and ideas, he sees society as laws, rules or institutions that everybody should conform and tend to follow "benevolent" dictators.
The conformist forces other people to be compliant with the rules he already knows.
Change is the worst enemy of the conformist and feels all deviant behavior as a threat.
The anti-conformist as an independent autonomous and critical person and normally is beyond innovation a creativity.
It seems that a very repressive education with rigid norms helps the growth of the conformist character and a dialoguing family can be the seed for and anti-conformist.
Dictatorship promotes mass behavior making people to conform with the Power point of view.
People should read the book "The Conformist" from Alberto Moravia that helped me and him to understand how fascistic power builds a conformist.
The most difficult movie to see and understand the mass psychology of fascism was the "120 days of Sodom" by Pasolini.
Wilhelm Reich wrote an interesting book called "mass psychology of fascism" that should be brought to light again because it was a prediction of today's sign of the Times.
Thanks for the recommendations.
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This post is amazing, thank you
Nice :)