CONFORMING TO THE NORM

We long to be friendly with the people we find ourselves surrounded by, even when they’re short with us at times.

We mimic other’s tendencies and opinions which are usually backwards.

We see black for white, and white as black.

We mistake honesty for bigotry, and chivalry as misanthropy.

We see misogyny as terrorism but misandry as humanistic.

And amid human cisgender garbage;

we think that if enough people believe something, well… then it must be true.

We go along with these preconceived notions of the world as a collective basis for our epistemological existence, but we’re biased as fπ∑k

We do as we’re taught.

W E  C O N F O R M  T O  T H E  N O R M

 

It’s easy to fit in when you’re like everyone else, which is exactly the point.

In the long run my observations have convinced me that some men, reasoning preposterously, first establish some conclusion in their minds which, either because of its being their own or because of their having received it from some person who has their entire confidence, impresses them so deeply that one finds it impossible ever to get it out of their heads. Such arguments in support of their fixed idea … gain their instant acceptance and applause. On the other hand whatever is brought forward against it, however ingenious and conclusive, they receive with disdain or with hot rage – if indeed it does not make them ill. 

Galileo

“Conformity involves changing your behaviors in order to “fit in” or “go along” with the people around you. In some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of people in a specific group, or it might involve behaving in a particular way in order to be perceived as “normal” by the group.”

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-conformity-2795889

Conformity: A change in a person’s behavior or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people.

Types of Conformity

Normative Conformity

“It is defined in social psychology as “…the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normative_social_influence

Informational Conformity

“Informational influence is conformity under acceptance of evidence about reality which has been provided by others.
https://www.pcc.edu/staff/pdf/602/216_ch2_conformity_asch_groupthink.pdf

Identity Conformity

Conformity to social roles is when an individual adopts a particular behaviour and belief, while in a particular social situation.

For example, whilst at school your teacher adopts the behaviour and beliefs of a ‘teacher’, which may be very different to the behaviour and beliefs they adopt with their friends at the weekend.

This type of conformity represents identification, where a person changes their public behaviour and private beliefs, but only while they are in a particular social role.
https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology/reference/conformity-to-social-roles

“In George Orwell’s 1984 one of EngSoc’s three “truths” was “Ignorance Is Strength.” Have you ever noticed how ignorant people have a great deal of strength in their convictions? Not being able to think is, at least subconsciously, terrifying. Unable to arrive at ideas and understandings on one’s own, every idea must be held onto like a life preserver in the sea beside a sinking ship. Every idea is as important as every other idea because there is no mechanism to judge between them.”Authority” (the Church-School-State Establishment) is strengthened by ignorance as well. The ignorant must rely on Authority for opinions. This keeps Authority on top. The “conspiracy” has a vested interest in maintaining this druggie-like dependence on Authority. It is a very short “hokey-pokey” little step from authoritarianism to totalitarianism.”-  Jerry E. Smith

The Solomon Asch Experiment (1951)

“Solomon Asch conducted an experiment to investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform. Asch (1951) devised what is now regarded as a classic experiment in social psychology, whereby there was an obvious answer to a line judgment task.

If the participant gave an incorrect answer it would be clear that this was due to group pressure.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.html

“Ash’s experiment is a classic. It reveals how people will deny what they see and submit to group pressure.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/conformity.html#sherif

A study on authority: The Milgrim Experiment

Two people are paid to conduct a study in the pursuit of science and to better understanding our psyche, especially when it comes to empathy, authority, and conformity. The outcome may shock you.

We are very susceptible to group pressure. We do what we’re told, and think what we’re taught. Sometimes we don’t think at all, but just conform to social norms, and acquiesce to the pressure of our peers.

“For it is dangerous to attach one’s self to the crowd in front, and so long as each one of us is more willing to trust another than to judge for himself, we never show any judgement in the matter of living, but always a blind trust, and a mistake that has been passed on from hand to hand finally involves us and works our destruction. It is the example of other people that is our undoing; let us merely separate ourselves from the crowd, and we shall be made whole. But as it is, the populace,, defending its own iniquity, pits itself against reason. And so we see the same thing happening that happens at the elections, where, when the fickle breeze of popular favour has shifted, the very same persons who chose the praetors wonder that those praetors were chosen.”
― Seneca


related:brain bias
http://joedubs.com/cognitive-confusion-brain-biases/

Joe Dubs

I write about philosophy, geometry, health, politics and other stuff that interests me.

One Comment:

  1. Good stuff as always. This race for everyone to be exactly the same is having an catastrophic impact on our society especially here in California. Being a father now I do fear for what these psychopaths will try next

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