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What factors affect the psychology of conformity
Influences of conformity and obedience
What factors affect the psychology of conformity
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Everyday we face the choice of letting our freak flag fly or complying to nonsense of society. In photo “Diogenes or Lucidity,” by Gilbert-Garcin, it shows Diogenes captivated in his personal desires because of his cynic belief of conformity leads people astray, depletes the logic of any man and also lowers the reward of valuable citizen; this is significant because the entire world is shrouded with lies and dishonesty and the few honest non conformed men are isolated and need light to hold back the darkness.
Though quite often unspoken and unknown, the authority given to those such as an airline pilot to fly a plane, or captain while on a boat, is that of the utmost respect and trust. In Theodore Dalrymple, a British physician’s, article “Just Do What the Pilot Tells You”, he discusses the fear of obedience and the constant struggle between the nature of the orders given and the behavior that is demanded by them. Contrarily, in the psychoanalyst and philosopher Erich Fromm article, “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem”, he ties in the ancient history of the Greeks and Hebrews in order to demonstrate the evolution of mankind through disobedience. Fromm argues that disobedience has led to the progression of modern reality, while
In the essay “Self-Reliance”, Ralph Waldo Emerson reveals the relationship that exists between the simplistic nature of men and the advanced society of men. He unveils that, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist” (Emerson 258). This quote divulges that man must learn to deny society in order to truly live up to one’s own potential which is the natural goal of one’s life; man must refuse to accept the standards that are spoon-fed to them by society and embrace a Promethean lifestyle. Another exemplar of tearing free from society’s grasp is presented in Tupac Shakur’s poem “In the Depths of Solitude”. The author makes known that people are, “Constantly yearning to be accepted/And from all receive respect” (Shakur 266). This quote serves as a standard that man is too reliant on a Pygmalion society; by breaking free from the opinion of society, one can become self-reliant, allowing them to find happiness from what they offer – not from what others offer. All things considered, climbing the mountain of conformity and the status quo is challenging, but doing so will secure a better life aiming for the pursuit of
Conformity plagues one’s existence and stature in today’s society. Due to government intervention in citizens’ daily lives, many writers have questioned the morality of conformity in a society by the means of control. When control becomes rampant fascist and totalitarian governments are formed, and because of the rise in fascism and totalitarianism, many people were led to conform social ideals. Therefore, George Orwell critiques conformity within society through the use of Big Brother, Proles, and Winston.
Society suppresses and limits individual creativity and freedom by forming strict traditions and forcing conformity. When conformity begins to rule a human’s life, decisions, and thoughts, it creates a restriction of personal freedom, choices and beliefs. In The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham, Waknuk abuses authority by restricting individuality, creating cowards and a false sense of security. Conformity can result in a manipulative cult, which often forces people to blindly submit to a leader’s irrational traditions and beliefs. Members of an unstable group join because they seek a sense of belonging. These people are willingly dependent on authority figures out of laziness, in order to escape responsibilities and to cope with life’s difficulties.
Whilst conformity can be perceived as order and fitting in, it also has plentiful consequences of control and coercion which can inhibit free thought and self-expression. Although, choosing to challenge conformity is a dangerous experience, it has the possible outcome of a better life and the freedom to pursue one’s own life of individuality and purpose. ‘The Gathering’ by Isobelle Carmody is a novel which represents the power of conformity through the characters and how they choose not to conform. As well as this, the movie ‘Dead Poets Society’ by Peter Weir show the characters challenging conformity. Both of these examples show the consequences of both conformity and non-conformity.
Milgram focuses on his clinical tone to portray his view that disobedience should be justified in everyday people otherwise humans will sink into a cowardly, robotic state. On the other hand, Dalrymple is more anecdotal, using his life experiences to explain the dangers of disobedience and that hierarchies are key to keep people in line. Coming together, these two essays are key to witnessing how disobedience is shaping society into everyone being somewhat the same person. Humans are beginning to live the same lives, and be stuck in the same circle, because they are too afraid to defy their authorities and therefore, everyone is stuck in the same rut. People are beginning to lose confidence in themselves, because they stand behind the orders of their superiors constantly, and do not think for themselves anymore. Humans need to learn from Milgram’s experiment to recognize that there is indeed a time and a place to be disobedient, but learn from Dalrymple’s essay, that there is also a time to obey
Obedience is the structural backbone that maintains social order however, if in the wrong hands it can result in catastrophic breakdowns expanding to concepts along the lines of the Holocaust. This is the line that man walks every day, working to balance out obedience and disobedience to find the perfect harmony. This is where a British physician, Theodore Dalrymple, the author of “Just Do What the Pilot Tells You”, and psychoanalyst and philosopher, Erich Fromm, author of “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem”, come into the conversation. Both of these men, while renowned psychologist, have different viewpoints on obedience, nonetheless share some common ground. Obedience is a force that happens to people
Conformity seems to be the new silent killer. More and more people are choosing to conform rather than be themselves. Conformity is spread across the world and in our generation it’s starting to spread like a wildfire in dead grass. In the article “The Sociology of Leopard Man” by Logan Fey, Logan argues that conformity is becoming one of the world’s most dangerous psychological disorders. I will share my position and provide my own experience in terms of how I classify non-conformist and conformists.
The moment we have grown to become aware of our own individuality is the same time in which we learn to discard and replace them for the standards society favors. In Logan Feys’s “Sociology of Leopard Man” the author speaks about how society often looks down on certain aspects that breaks down social norms, and that people are forced to conform to them in attempts to attain acceptance. He utilizes a unique individual who is known as the world’s most tattooed man, and who people often refer to as the Leopard Man, as a reference. Feys is accurate in asserting that people currently live under constant pressure to surrender their individuality and conform to the will of others.
In his philosophical text, The Republic, Plato argues that justice can only be realized by the moderation of the soul, which he claims reflects as the moderation of the city. He engages in a debate, via the persona of Socrates, with Ademantus and Gaucon on the benefit, or lack thereof, for the man who leads a just life. I shall argue that this analogy reflecting the governing of forces in the soul and in city serves as a sufficient device in proving that justice is beneficial to those who believe in, and practice it. I shall further argue that Plato establishes that the metaphorical bridge between the city and soul analogy and reality is the leader, and that in the city governed by justice the philosopher is king.
In reality, the complete civilization is compelled by some inside dynamism that has no commander. All actions are under full observation, others make all judgements, but no one is in control. In this society, the law entails seamless conformism. Everyone are retold that, “Routine flawless is flawless routine” (Ripp, 2001). The people are programmed with the belief in electrical resistance, and this resistance is a persistent cue that independence is incorrect and all people are made for the multitudes. A society no longer compelled by the aspiration to create happiness for its people, but the want to be
There are several examples of literature that have not so much changed the particular way in which I view the world, but solidified my ideologies; however, one in particular, of very few, has made me think and reconsider certain aspects of my life and human struggle. Antigone, a play written by Sophocles in 441 B.C. offers a variety of lessons, two of which resonate with me above the rest. The first is the sharp contrast divine law and human law has to offer. The second: limitations can only be determined by those whom they affect.
Since the beginning of society, societal expectation has caged the individuality of humanity, coiling its lethal body around its prey and suffocating until no unique identity remained intact. This has shaped and created a superficial mask that people parade in front of others, restricting their genuine characteristics in favor of more “desirable” ones. These manacles of the mind restrain the very thing that makes us human -our uniqueness- and distorts it so that it can place us in boxes of our limitations and expectations. Characters from Let the Great World Spin and Song of Solomon are seduced by the allure of a societal “norm”, changing their behaviour to fit into their designated social category, but the ultimate goal in life is actually
Thucydides exhibits this through the characterization of Pericles, who governed in a way that satisfied all because he was not overcome by personal ambition and conducted his affairs with an element of caution and patience. As a leader, he provided the necessary guidance for Athenians to retain a civilised society through stimulating emotions that counter-acted their natural compulsions. However, his predecessors following his death in 429 B.C compounded the dangers of human nature as they themselves were driven by notions of personal gain and lacked conformity, which incapacitated their judgement. Both Nicias and Alcibiades are characterized as lacking reason, which meant the link between ethical considerations and political society became disconnected resulting in an oligarchy. This pattern can be adopted in the modern sphere when evaluating the breakdown of rationality and the defective judgements of President Nixon. Within his foreign policies he compromised diplomacy to succeed in accomplishing his own egoistic gains, which led to the defeat and the collapse of United State’s control within Southeast Asia. It again reaffirms the accuracy of the occurrence of universal patterns that are “fixed, immutable and