Conformity to the norm or daring to be different. Human beings tend to take different stances, but ultimately they funnel into conformity at some juncture or point in time. How different can we be and how often do we let ourselves stick out like a sore thumb?
This raises the issue of our locus of identity and whether it is external or internal. The former are comparable to molds of plasticine whereas the latter are comparable to hardened pieces of clay. It is difficult to classify humans into either of these two categories and most possess a little bit of that plasticine and a little bit of that clay, just that how much of each vary. Plasticines let themselves be molded and adjusted by the fingers of society whereas clay pieces have set their own standards of living and values, which are immune to external perspectives.
Why exactly do people conform? Why would someone not dare walk out of their house in their PJs? Why would people not dare break out into a musical on a train? Why are there unspoken norms of behaviour and conduct and who exactly created these? It is quite interesting to think about the roots of origin of such practices and how these differ across the globe. In Japan people would look at you aghast if you were to set your mobile on ringing mode, while in America you see people talking at the top of their voices. True enough, we can connect or link these to culture and traditions, but it does not address the issue of people having to be similar or at least not too different from one another. This is an entirely different issue on its own. Is it a need for identity or a fear of being judged? It could be either or perhaps just an easy way out. After all, it takes less energy to do exactly what your neighbour practises instead of having to decide what to do. We begin to doubt our own actions and try and match those of the norm. Also, people may fear being left out or ostracized for being different. But that makes them become someone they are instructed to develop into rather than someone they want to be.
Not convinced? Several psychologists have tested on subjects in the past and proven just what I am rambling about - the need to conform. One of the earliest of these studies is that done by Solomon Asch in the 1950s. Check this out:
Even though the need for acceptance haunts our minds, I think in order to be truly happy we need to take our lives by its reins and take critiques with a pinch of salt. Dare to be different and have that clay within us while maintaining some plasticine as well. Only a healthy balance of these two will make us truly us and unique. It is perfectly fine to stick out like a sore thumb once in awhile and create a whole new direction and perhaps a whole new norm, the irony of it all.
2 comments:
Good writing Vibha, keep it up. I am doing some side research into psychology as a hobby, and will include follow up on the Asch experiment in my works.
Btw, I see a lot of use of this principle of psychology in today's pop culture, which is sublimely directed towards the dumbing down of the general populace. The pop culture as directed by main stream media itself revels in dumbness, and on subtle exposures of dumbness over a long period of time, people either lose their wisdom for judgement or just suppress their wisdom in order to go along with the flow. It seems to me a pity that the bad guys reached science and applied it before the good guys. What do you think?
Thank you. I think its inevitable that this has happened be in the pop scene or politics. Somehow or the other, human beings can be manipulated to move in unison, especially when they are striving to find their identity. The erosion of culture into one common melting pot is likely to happen and I would not say the bad guys got there first, more like what was going to happen eventually is happening. In fact, this has been observed in the past as well, what with the hippie culture and even Hitler and his followers. The need for conformity clearly strikes often and hard, but how vulnerable we are to it is up to us. That's what I think :)
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