Conformity Essay - 786 Words

A Japanese proverb says, quot;The nail that sticks out will be hammered down.quot; Society tries to place many rules on us as individuals as to what is acceptable and what is not. We must decide for ourselves whether to conform to such a social decorum. We are taught as soon as we are old enough to grasp the idea that it is bad to be unique and to avoid being different. At some point, however, we must decide within ourselves whether to spend every day trying to be like everyone else because society says we should or living each day true to ourselves. Our strength as a person is proven through what we decide. E. E. Cummings once said, quot;To be nobody but yourself-in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you like†¦show more content†¦We are simply told how to solve a problem or accomplish a task. We are never taught why or how something works. If we do not attempt to break out of that mold, we will never get to the point where we wonder why or how things work . A young child constantly asks quot;why?quot; He has yet to realize that it does not matter, according to teachers and leaders of society, why the sky is blue. It only matters that it is blue. Perhaps there is an underlying fear that if we begin to question innocent things like the color of the sky we will one day begin to question government policies, etc. Then we might discover that many quot;great leadersquot; in this world have convinced us to believe their version of the truth. quot;To be great is to be misunderstood†¦quot; (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance). The greatest people in the history of the world were misunderstood. If we want to be great, we can safely assume that we must be willing to be misunderstood. However, we cannot be misunderstood if we conform to the standards of society. If we act and think and talk exactly as everyone else, we will never run the risk of being taken the wrong way. Therefore, by being ourselves we are grouped with the some of the greatest people who ever lived. We may not reach their ranks of fame simply by being ourselves, but, in essence, we are just as great as they are in that we have the strength to be ourselves. It has been said that fools seldom differ. So if we were notShow MoreRelatedConformity Vs. Conformity Theory1713 Words   |  7 PagesConformity theory is used to explain why people eat bugs, smoke cigarettes, enjoy boring tasks, following trending wardrobe styles, and under appreciate enticing opti ons (Jones Mills, 1999). These tactics are performed in an effort to maintain consistent views among group members and reduce the number of attitude conflicts and tension (Matz Wood, 2005). Conformity will be defined as changing one’s own response to be consistent with other group member’s responses (Asch, 1955b). Asch’s work supportsRead More Conformity Essay1362 Words   |  6 Pagesto Leon Mann, conformity means ‘yielding to group pressures’. Everyone is a member of one group or another and everyone expects members of these groups to behave in certain ways. If you are a member of an identifiable group you are expected to behave appropriately to it. If you don’t confirm and behave appropriately you are likely to be rejected by the group. Like stereotypes, conforming and expecting others to conform maintains cognitive balance. There are several kinds of conformity. Many studiesRead MoreConformity Is The Most Popular Form Of Conformity909 Words   |  4 Pageswho matter don t mind.† Through this quote, the foundation of conformity is uprooted from its murky hovel and is disputed with. Despite, though, how many people preach these words, they still succumb to the mind numbing effects without even realizing it, because they are not fully aware of the causes of this topic. That is why one needs to understand the causes of conformity before preventing the effects. The three causes of conformity include: changing how one acts to avoid the rejection of theirRead MoreConformity And Its Effect On Society1431 Words   |  6 Pagessociety if they don’t stick out with ideas opposite or different to the â€Å"main stream†. To answer the question what is CONFORMITY we ca use the description of psychologists who described it as: The most general concept and refers to any change in behaviour caused by another person or group; the individual acted in some way because of influence from others. (Breckler, 2006) Conformity can be caused by different reasons. For some people it will be a way of looking for clues of how to behave, as otherRead MoreEssay on Conformity and Rebellion834 Words   |  4 PagesA certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason we have laws. Take those laws, rules, control, or even expectations, to an extreme, and some form of rebellion is probable. Struggle with these opposites, and you have a catalyst for war, or perhaps, being fired from a job. Literature represents life, and this theme can be found at the root of many literary works. â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, reflects blind conformity by the villagers withRead MorePersuasive Essay On Conformity1016 Words   |  5 Pages Conformity is killing the beauties of individualities Should we blame society or ourselves for conforming? As a struggling college student, today we are continually attempting to fit in and discover their place and role in society. Drug and alcohol abuse are turning into the responses for us so we do not have to deal with the social expectations of society. 3 out of 4 of high schoolers have reported that school stress is the reason behind it (12 Keys Rehab, 2013). Imagine there were 4 people inRead MoreLeadership And Teams : Conformity1278 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership and Teams – Conformity Conformity continues to be an expectation and need in many groups. The ability for a group to resolve differences or come up with the required conclusion could require that one or more people in the group need to conform with a premise that the majority considers. This paper will present answers to the following questions. Does the desire to be accepted as a part of a group leave one susceptible to conforming to the group’s norms? Can a group exert pressure that’sRead MoreConformity And Its Effect On Society Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom home for the first time, take on many obstacles. Along with the difficulties of balancing academics, self care and missing home, students face immense pressures from their peers. Conformity is the alteration of a behavior due to the influence of others, regardless of if their presence is real or imagined. Conformity often occurs in groups, and because groups are a very common and important in college, it becomes a time in one ’s life when pressure is extremely high. My group of girls are tightlyRead MoreConformity and Individuality Essay933 Words   |  4 PagesConformity Speech I strongly believe that individuality should be valued over conformity. Today I will tell you how precious and rare individuality is, and why we should value it over conformity. As human beings, our lives are circled around a thin line that separates conformity and individuality. There are countless times when we are confused about whether our choice was made by others, or yourself. Deep inside, we all want to be liked; we all want to be loved, we all crave the warm feelings ofRead MoreConformity vs. Individuality1437 Words   |  6 PagesConformity versus individuality Willa Cathers Pauls Case, displays the conflict between conformity and individuality through the main character, Paul. On a number of occasions, Paul is forced to lie and steal to escape the conformists who wish to control him and stifle his unique imagination. However, his lying, stealing, and attempts to escape the conformists, only force Paul into isolation, depression, and feeling a sense of shame for his individuality. Throughout the story one might see