Do you ever pause to consider why you do things or think the way you do? Assume you've been invited to enter a room with a group of strangers and wait. You're the last person to enter, and everyone is standing near their seats, but no one sits. What are you going to do? Some of you might wonder why individuals choose to stand rather than sit, but chances are you'd choose to stand as well.
Why? Because we are all trying to fit in with people around us. This is a basic case, but it demonstrates our desire to bow to social pressure in order to feel accepted and not ostracized.
Conformity Takes Away Your Sense of Self
Conformity is defined as “a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group.” From the moment we are born, we are shaped by the views and attitudes of people around us, just as our parents and their parents were before them. However, while this is viewed as a moral set of standards for us to follow, it can impair our actual sense of ourselves, making us frightened to pursue our interests and goals
You may wish to try your hand at writing, but society thinks that being a doctor is far more useful, so you pursue that road instead. You want to pack your bags and tour the world, but your parents and loved ones believe that attending university would be far more helpful and prudent.
Even until recently, it was essential to conceal our actual sexuality in order to escape social marginalization and a reduced quality of life, all because hetrosexuality was the only accepted type. This demonstrates how adhering to norms and what society considers 'right and improper' robs you of your uniqueness and pleasure.
It Restricts Your Happiness
Most individuals conform so much that they tolerate living their life in order to be accepted by others. The issue arises when there is a sense of sadness as a result of not pursuing your genuine path.
Most individuals describe this as feeling lost in life or going through a'mid-life crisis' when they realize their lives haven't gone as planned. This can, however, be the consequence of years of needing to comply rather than living the manner that would make you the happy.
Social conformity has the capacity to limit our sense of freedom to achieve our aspirations and appears in many of our most significant decisions. But consider this: if no one assessed what you did for a living, who you dated or married, where you lived, or how you lived your life, would you do anything differently?
Don’t Be Afraid To Embrace Your Individuality
The primary issue with uniformity and norms is the loss of our originality and distinctiveness. While many individuals do live this way, it is occasionally faced with animosity and judgment from those close to them or society as a whole.
We live in a culture that tells us we need to stand out in order to be successful, but expressing our uniqueness can be seen negatively. Expressing your own style, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs can sometimes be interpreted as attention-seeking or odd, but who is actually enforcing these 'rules'?
Learning to accept who we are and how we live our lives will provide us the true pleasure we all seek and generate. Breaking away from the fear of being different might bring greater success and contentment into your life.
So, the next time you think about what'society' might think - what's 'right' or 'bad' - ask yourself who created those standards and do you really want to comply to them?
