Why do people conform?

[Magic187]

Why do people try to fit in?
Why do people try to be what they're not?
Why are people so prone to do these things?
It makes no sense to me.

[devonin]

Re: Why do people conform?

Why do people try to fit in?
Why do people try to be what they're not?
Why are people so prone to do these things?
It makes no sense to me.

Because they mistakingly believe that it would be better to be a fool satisfied, than Socrates unsatisfied.

[alster1]

Re: Why do people conform?

because they dont want people to think they look foolish because they are different

[falcondude]

Re: Why do people conform?

If one person jumps off a cliff, he's an idiot.
If a hundred people jump off a cliff, the one left is an idiot for not fitting in.

That's why.

[moches]

Re: Why do people conform?

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"Why do people try to fit in?" Because everyone else is pushing them to fit in. It's like that game Perfection. Fit the mold, or else you fall out.

"Why do people try to be what they're not?" Because they are unsatisfied with who they already are, which I personally think is crap talk.

"Why are people so prone to do these things?" Because one of the best things humans do is pressure. And one of the worst things humans do is handle that pressure in a positive way.

"It makes no sense to me." It doesn't make sense to me either. But the world isn't perfect.

[ljw5021]

Re: Why do people conform?

Why do people try to fit in?
Why do people try to be what they're not?
Why are people so prone to do these things?
It makes no sense to me.

Being conformist and nonconformist are both stupid. You end up having groupings like emo kids who think they're so different but really they look like everyone else.

To me the whole thing is stupid. I watched kids back in high school go to great lengths to try to fit in to a certain crowd. I just wore and did what I wanted and found other people who didn't give two ****s about what other people were thinking. We're still great friends today, unlike the "crowds".

[devonin]

Re: Why do people conform?

Being conformist and nonconformist are both stupid.

And you don't see how you're conforming to the "Too cool for labels" label?

I think we've about exhausted what chance at actual CT that this thread had. Too much conformist bandwagon jumping about how uncool it is to conform.

[MarisaKirisame]

Re: Why do people conform?

Well, I'm willing to change for a person unless something goes against what I would do. I wouldn't call them my "morals", but just a set of things I would not like to do. I may not find something morally wrong just because I don't wish to partake in it.

Let's take a common example. Drugs. Do I think that someone is doing something MORALLY WRONG by doing drugs in their free time? No. But would I do them? Nah, I doubt I'll ever do them just because I don't really want to. Would I be a part of a group of people who did drugs? Well sure, as long as they did not insult me just because I did not do them.

Let me put it this way. I'm willing to conform, but I'm not willing to do something I'm against, whether I consider it morally okay or not okay.

I don't mean to throw out any offense here, but I have to say, it's pretty annoying and contradictory to be a nonconformist JUST to be a nonconformist. Doing that is conforming to going against what others want(in other words, conforming to not conform). It is not as if only one person in the world does this. It's surprising how many people think this way.

I'm sure you've all heard of "a rebel without a cause." That's because so many people are doing it that it's starting to become a group people try to conform to telling themselves they're being nonconformists.

Don't get me wrong, some people don't do things just because they don't want to be a part of other groups they may see, but doing it JUST to be a nonconformist seems like a joke to me.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Why do people conform?

People "conform" often because they WANT to fit in, without realizing what it means and what the alternative is.

At least, that's what I did in junior high. I tried dressing like the cool, popular kids and hanging out with them, and I in no way fit in with them anymore (was friends with them all in elementary school). I kind of realized it, but still wanted to try because of status, having a group of friends, hanging out with hot girls, etc. In retrospect, I was a huge idiot, but at the time, I wanted to fit in with them.

Recall, though, that one can conform to any group, and will almost always do so, depending on what they're like?

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[MarisaKirisame]

Re: Why do people conform?

I admit, I act differently around different people because it'd probably look a little awkward if I acted the same way with two completely opposite groups of people.

[jewpinthethird]

Re: Why do people conform?

Conformity is a survival instinct. Conforming ensures that people will get along. People see themselves not as an individual, but a member of a larger social circle, which is comforting for many.

America, being the individualistic culture that it is, has an aversion towards conformity (save for a brief period following WWII). Children are encouraged to be individuals. However, despite this common belief, we still find that nearly all people associate themselves with one specific social group.








Posted for relevance.

[Reach]

Re: Why do people conform?

There are different situational reasons for conforming. I would say the instinctual roots of conformity rest in the fact people survive better in groups than alone, but modern society brings about new reasons. It's really quite easy to conform, even if you think you're too 'good' for that and you can rest assured I could set up a situation where you would end up conforming. As a matter of fact, everyone conforms the majority of the time, and this isn't always a bad thing as a degree of conformity is necessary for a society to function.

People will conform to fit in, because they second guess themselves and start having doubts, because they're following orders, because of certain expectations or because the responsibility has diffused, among other things. Group think will often occur within all groups, whether it be peer or political or anything really, where contradicting majority opinion never happens and individuals start to think less critically without weighing out the facts. A good example of this can be seen in derren brown's instant conversion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sq-YUdq1OI . The roles played by expectation and groupthink sway just about all these skeptics.

[ljw5021]

Re: Why do people conform?

And you don't see how you're conforming to the "Too cool for labels" label?

I think we've about exhausted what chance at actual CT that this thread had. Too much conformist bandwagon jumping about how uncool it is to conform.

If you're going to say something childish like that, maybe you should think of not visiting Critical Thinking for a few years.

[devonin]

Re: Why do people conform?

I think if you look up what the word 'irony' means, you may wish to reconsider your accusation that I'm being childish.

[shatteredgravity]

Re: Why do people conform?

simply, people want to be liked, loved, cared about, seen, and heard. and alot of the times with the way this moronic world works, you have to sell out totally and be everything you'd really rather not be. then you get brainwashed when you do it for so long cause you then believe that that is the only way to be and everyone else just sucks. [anticonformity, my friends, anticonformity...]