Conformity is Influeced by Information and Normative

At this moment, if you are sitting at an empty desk, only listening to me while I’m presenting my speech, and at least pretending to be attentive, you are conforming to your peers. Did you know that? Why do we do this? Some of you, while I’m presenting these exact words, may be thinking about other matters, but because to express them at the moment would be considered impolite, you have decided to remain silent. That is compliance. If you are actually paying attention to me, that would be considered internalization. If you are just playing your part as a student or an audience member during my speech, you are demonstrating identification. Those are three types of conformity, and all of you are demonstrating at least one type as I speak. But why? Conformity is influenced by many things, but mainly two; informational and normative. If you are copying what the majority of the class is doing, you are being influenced by the informational one. If you are just paying attention so that you don’t stand out amongst your peers, the normative one is influencing you. You, at the moment, are being a conformist. Because of self-doubt, our environment, our social expectations, and just our human nature in general, conformity will always manage to come into play in our lives.

Imagine you are in math class. You teacher is taking up a homework question, and a student in your class gives an answer. But you wrote something different. the teacher then turns to the entire class and asks, “who agrees with that answer?” A hand from almost every student in the class rises, all except for one. You quickly raise your hand too. You are now part of the majority. You are safe. Haven’t we all experienced the same feeling, at least at one point or another in o...

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...However, in another aspect, as growing teenagers, we are known for our changing behaviours, our want to hang out with friends more often, and starting our “rebellious stage” in life. The only difference is which group we will conform to.

In a world of conformists, each of individually, is one person. we were made that way. We were born the way we were to be, but society and conformity try to disguise that. Conformity comes to us, masked as wisdom and maturity. But why ever does that mean we must listen? “The reward for conformity,” as Mae Brown once said, “is that everyone likes you but yourself.” Take that chance, whatever it may be. Don’t let the world suppress your thoughts, creativity, and identity. Don’t change who you are. With conformity, the question is not about whether it’s good or bad, because it’s both. The question is rather; what choice will you make?