Even though conformity is not a natural instinct of ours as humans it’s still very
important from a sociological and survival perspective because it’s a big part of
what makes us “human” and what differentiates us from animals.
From a very young age we are taught simple rules that we must follow to
ensure both our wellbeing as well as other’s safety, for example not to touch
something that is hot, not to cross the street when there are cars passing by,
not to pick up and eat things that fell on the floor, not to fight with other kids
etc.
Of course, conformity is something very subjective since it’s something that
varies from place to place but overall, it exists as a sociological concept to
protect each and every one of us in the following ways:
1. It helps at the smooth function of both bigger and smaller societies in
the sense that we all follow the same rules and regulations.
2. It distributes the workload evenly which allows people to succeed and
grow under the same guidelines.
3. It provides an economical safety net for older or disabled people as well
as for people with special needs that cannot provide for themselves
anymore and need subsidy.
4. It is tightly connected with protection since the law enforcement and the
justice system are the two best examples we have when it comes to
conformity.
5. Overall, it provides a harmonious coexistence between all members of a
society.
Although conformity is great in all these ways just like everything else in our
lives it also has a negative side and can be the “mother” of lots of dangers and
problems such as:
1. It usually lacks diversity which means that certain rules and guidelines
cannot be followed by all sorts of people and personalities.
2. It gives people in charge too much power with which they can destroy
the harmony and the equality of our society
3. It breeds people that are “blind followers” and not “critical thinkers” and
a blind belief in any sort of system is never a good thing.
4. Conformity could automatically relate to apathy in some people’s brains
due to the fear of getting punished or penalized for what they believe in.
important from a sociological and survival perspective because it’s a big part of
what makes us “human” and what differentiates us from animals.
From a very young age we are taught simple rules that we must follow to
ensure both our wellbeing as well as other’s safety, for example not to touch
something that is hot, not to cross the street when there are cars passing by,
not to pick up and eat things that fell on the floor, not to fight with other kids
etc.
Of course, conformity is something very subjective since it’s something that
varies from place to place but overall, it exists as a sociological concept to
protect each and every one of us in the following ways:
1. It helps at the smooth function of both bigger and smaller societies in
the sense that we all follow the same rules and regulations.
2. It distributes the workload evenly which allows people to succeed and
grow under the same guidelines.
3. It provides an economical safety net for older or disabled people as well
as for people with special needs that cannot provide for themselves
anymore and need subsidy.
4. It is tightly connected with protection since the law enforcement and the
justice system are the two best examples we have when it comes to
conformity.
5. Overall, it provides a harmonious coexistence between all members of a
society.
Although conformity is great in all these ways just like everything else in our
lives it also has a negative side and can be the “mother” of lots of dangers and
problems such as:
1. It usually lacks diversity which means that certain rules and guidelines
cannot be followed by all sorts of people and personalities.
2. It gives people in charge too much power with which they can destroy
the harmony and the equality of our society
3. It breeds people that are “blind followers” and not “critical thinkers” and
a blind belief in any sort of system is never a good thing.
4. Conformity could automatically relate to apathy in some people’s brains
due to the fear of getting punished or penalized for what they believe in.
