The Balance of Conformity

The classic argument against conformity is that it constricts individuality and uniqueness. What would be the point of living if someone else could take our place and do just as good a job? However, we all must conform to some extent, so it is rash to condemn conformity from the outset. After all, wearing clothes, drinking water and even breathing are forms of conformity. Of course, those are bare essentials, but even something like going to school is a concept that today's first-world society cannot live without.

On the other side of the spectrum, people conform heavily because they are afraid of standing out. If they stand out, others will readily notice that they are 'different' and may judge them negatively. In order to enjoy life to the fullest, we need to strike a balance between conformity and non-conformity. It is smart to conform in areas that will ensure our safety. For example, a person wears non-offensive clothing to avoid provoking other people into attacking him or her. However, in my opinion, we conform way too much in areas not related to safety and health. In my previous post, I have already noted some areas which I consider 'misconceptions of measures of success'.

Conforming without a strong scientific basis can lead to major problems. In the early 1900s, a stock market craze evolved. It seemed like easy money; but the investors' enthusiasm drove the stock prices up too high. The prices no longer represented to true value of the stocks. This lead to the Great Depression of 1929 in which a large proportion of average investors got owned. If you were a typical person back then and you had followed your enthusiastic friends into the stock market game, you would have lost a large chunk of your life savings.

We follow the crowd because it is easy. If everyone else does it, surely it must be a good thing, right? However, by mindlessly following others, we are failing to use our greatest asset - our brain. Every human being is born with endless potential, but if we do not exercise and develop our brain, we cannot harness the potential. The classic book by Napoleon Hill was called Think and Grow Rich; it is the 'thinking' part that is the most important.

In conclusion, conformity is a tricky issue to tackle. It is intelligent to conform in areas of safety and health. However, other areas give people much more leeway. We must strike our own unique balance between conformity and non-conformity. Conformity is essential, but there are areas where it is better to make our own independent decisions. As the celebrated poet Robert Frost said in his poem The Road Not Taken, "I took the [road] less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."