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The power of conformity
Obedience and conformity in our society
The implications of conformity on society and the individual
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Ever since our minds were old enough to comprehend three syllable words, we've been told to be original. Originality by definition means the ability to think independently or creatively. Such a simple task it seems but so many of us find it extremely difficult to fulfill. Staying true to yourself and embracing your individuality isn't a task or concept all will grasp. To be yourself means to embrace and acknowledge that no one else in this universe is just like you and that conforming to their standards will have to take a backseat to your happiness. Only the strong minded can do this and this revelation won't take a day or even a year, but it will embark you on a lifelong journey. "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment" Ralph Waldo Emerson. We live in a world where society tells you to be yourself and then judges you. We love in a constant fear of being judged or called a weirdo. Though the barons that hold us to this conformity are strong, many manage to break through. No other person in this universe is exactly like you. Everyone has a different quality to bring to the table and that is what makes out world such a diverse place. Embracing your assets to society and not trying to imitate someone else will not only change your outlook on certain situations but on your life as a whole. The phrase only the strong will survive applies to all aspects of life, including individuality. To be able to stand up for who you are and not let the opinions of the world faze you takes a strong mind and a strong spirit. Having a true sense of self is a life long journey and some people reach it more quickly than others. Some reach this place of nirvana while still in thei... ... middle of paper ... ...ted. There are many countries that frown upon standing out to the extent of the Americans. In some Middle Eastern cultures, women are required to cover their bodies from head to toe. They dress in dark clothing so that little attention is drawn to them, if any at all. Differing from the Middle Eastern culture, American people often dress to the extreme; showing them off as if the world is always watching them. Although one covers their body with a black hijab and another prances around in a rainbow dress, the one covered is not any less of an individual as the one standing out physically. In conclusion, we as a society have to realize that individuality goes much deeper than material things and that it is okay to be different. Conforming to what society feels you should do will not only be detrimental to our growth as humans but as a world community as well.
Conformity can be very crucial, infact a lot of people eventually start hurting themselves or doing drugs just because they don't feel themselves anymore.Why can't society change? why can't that one kid that always follows everyone in the back can turn into the kid that just hangs with the people they really wanna hang with?We need to embrace ourselves so we can stop all this conformity from consuming us.Tupac was a nonconformist, he always did what made him happy and always told the truth.
So far, conformity has been discussed in terms of group identification and social roles. However, individuals also tend to change prior beliefs to seek group acceptance. Asch (1951) investigated the effect of group pressure on conformity by asking participants to make a line judgment with seven confederates that gave the same obviously incorrect answer. Yet, 37% of participants conformed by giving the incorrect majority answer, whereas in the absence of group pressure, less than 1% of participants conformed (Asch, 1951). There are implications on normative influence as individuals, despite knowing the majority opinion was incorrect, may conform to avoid social punishment (Breckler et al., 2005). However, Turner and colleagues (1987) argued
In society, people cling to conformity. It's an easy way to avoid trouble or ridicule. Cyrus explains this to Adam when he's describing life in the army: "you'll do things because the others do them. You'll feel the danger in any difference whatever-a danger to the whole crowd of like-thinking, like-acting men." And what happens when someone doesn't conform? "The whole machine devotes itself coldly to the destruction of his difference." (25)
Everybody wants to be accepted, yet society is not so forgiving. It bends you and changes you until you are like everyone else. Society depends on conformity and it forces it upon people. In Emerson's Self Reliance, he says "Society is a joint stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater." People are willing to sacrifice their own hopes and freedoms just to get the bread to survive. Although the society that we are living in is different than the one the Emerson's essay, the idea of fitting in still exists today. Although society and our minds make us think a certain way, we should always trust our better judgment instead of just conforming to society.
Allowing people the discovery of their true nature, ending their life of mimicry and fakery. Individuality is important and beneficial for it develops a sense of freedom which brings out the authentic self. Whether this is rebellious or not is up for debate, but this act of nonconformity can unlock new ideas and open paths for brighter futures, letting creativity flow through minds of those who have been restrained by peers and their opinions. Be different than others, express yourself through thoughts and ideas that have been hidden by conformism and do not be afraid to be a
Conformity and Its Meaning This assignment focuses upon conformity and what it means to us. Conformity is defined by Zimbardo (1992) as "A tendency for people to adopt behaviour, values and attitudes of other members of a reference group". Why people conform is a topic of much debate. People don't always conform for the same reason's, in 1958 Kelman identified three main forms of conformity, each of which could produce conforming behaviour but in different ways.
In today’s culture psychologist, sociologist, and scientist investigate several types of personalities. Personality is the pattern of behavior, though process, emotions, and reactions to the people that surround us on daily basis. Several test have been developed for testing personalities. Some test can be simple and short while others lengthy and complicated. Scholars demonstrated knowledge about personalities looking back many thousands of years. The Greeks published a well documented history in profiling people according to personality traits. Two interesting character personalities are conformist type personality and manipulative type personality.
This text shaped my understanding of sociology because I was able to see how much power society, specifically the majority, can have over an individual because it seems to be the easiest course of action. This concept is known as social conformity. The article Opinions and Social Pressure took the time to convey how the minds of the majority and the minority work, and provides insight on how social conformity shapes our everyday experiences.
Conformity, or going along with the crowd, is a unique phenomenon that manifests itself in our thoughts and behaviors. It’s quite simple to identify countless examples of the power of conformity in virtually all aspects of social life. Conformity influences our opinions and relationships with others, often to a higher extent than we realize. It is posited that people generally conform to the group in order to fit in and avoid rejection or because they truly believe the group is more knowledgeable than they are. After analyzing numerous studies and experiments on the nature of conformity, one will find that the motive of social acceptance is the greatest driver of conformity.
Imagine living in a world where almost everyone lived the same lifestyle. Same cars, styles, and personalities, almost everything was the same. There was a set social norm and if you were different, you might have been judged for the way you lived. You feel the need to change your lifestyle in order to fit in with the world’s “social norm”. There is a pressure from the people around you or the town/city that you live in. Now it is highly encouraged to be different amongst the rest of the people to stand out. However, before being “different”, many people felt the need to conform to society’s norm. In the books The Sun Also Rises and Babbitt, social conformity plays a huge role in their storylines. The term social conformity is a society or
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” stated Ralph Waldo Emerson. Mr Emerson is claimed that most people in a society solely purpose is to fit in. The human race decides what it wants, what it needs, and what it uses. We all want to “fit in” because we are all afraid of getting judged, and be the weird one of the group. We all focus on the fact how people are different and not the same When I was in Middle school, conformity was everywhere with an exception of a couple people. But then when I came to High school I've seen about 75% conformity and 25% individuality this show when people get older they get the more individual people get. Because when they grow up they finally realize that
fitting myself into the expectation of the society, rather than trying to make an exception, is always an easier way
Thomas Jefferson once said, “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” A simpler explanation of this quote is that while it is good to follow with current trends in terms of style, one should never abandon his/her principles. People in current times find themselves in a world where sticking to the social norms is held to high regards by most people, and anyone out of the social norms is usually looked down upon or seen as strange. While I personally disagree with the quote’s first statement, I agree completely with Jefferson’s opinion on matters of principle. To “stand like a rock” means that someone should stick to their own principles even if it means going against the socially accepted norm. It is most important to stay true to oneself instead of
We must at least learn to like who we are, and think well of ourselves. Understanding who we are is vital if we are to feel empowered enough to create a design for our lives that is pleasing to us. It is impossible to feel worthy and good about ourselves if we are wishing, and wanting to be someone. Creating a healthy self-image, and a life we desire will take some practice, and require that we put some thought into what makes us happy. The life we desire is waiting for us, all we must do is make up our minds, that we are tired of living a masquerade and take off the
Unfortunately, this struggle for conformity often extends beyond a personal level. It is not uncommon for society to chastise a person for being different, in one particular way or another. This chastising could range from polite disapproval, to snide comments, to harmful, oppressive tactics such as bullying and harassment. This causes more people to conform to society for the fear of being labeled a