Everyone thinks they are different from the rest. At the same time, unconsciously, we are still influenced by others, we repeat the behavior of the majority, some to a lesser extent, some to a greater extent. This conformity is called conformity. This is a rejection of one's own beliefs, views under the pressure of society. Moreover, it should be noted that such following the majority is always passive, that is, the individual does not turn on critical thinking, but seems to go with the flow.
The concept of conformism
Since many people consider themselves to be unique individuals, it will be useful for them to know what conformity is. The definition of this concept includes several aspects:
- Firstly, it is the passivity of accepting public opinion. A person treats an idea, opinion, tradition uncritically and accepts them without analyzing them.
- Secondly, conformity as a social phenomenon is implanted by education, ideology, religion, etc.
- Thirdly, conformity is directly related to suggestibility, the stability of the system of his beliefs, as well as the breadth of outlook. highly suggestible peopleanalyze the incoming information, do not pass it through a kind of filter.
Pros and cons of conformity
Conformity - good or bad? Many will immediately answer that, of course, it’s bad. After all, conformity makes a person be like everyone else, excludes his own opinion, suppresses individuality. Of course, all this is true. But conformity is also an excellent mechanism for public administration. Leaders in various organizations successfully use this phenomenon to regulate the system of relations in the group. It cannot be denied that there have always been subordinates and managers at all times, this division depends on many factors. However, the disadvantages of conformism can also be attributed to the tendency to imitate in childhood. Children most easily fall under bad influence, because they strive to be accepted by the society of their peers, so they start drinking, smoking, etc. Of course, the ability to quickly join a group, to show one's involvement in it, is a useful skill. But, on the other hand, analytical thinking is given to us in order to soberly assess whether it is worth joining this group at all and blindly follow the lead of the majority.
Conformity Studies
In social psychology, many experiments have been conducted to identify conformity. For example, in the experiment of S. Asch, the subjects were asked to estimate the length of the lines. All subjects, except for one, were dummy and gave the same wrong answer. Mostcases, an unsuspecting person, under pressure from the majority, also gave the wrong answer. This phenomenon has been called social conformism. One person begins to doubt his own opinion if it contradicts the opinion of the majority. However, if there was a person in the group who also gave the wrong answer, but differed from the others, the subjects more often gave the correct answer. Thus, conformity is the fear of opposing oneself to the group, the fear of appearing stupid, not like the rest.
