Creativity Vs Conformity Essay

The idea of deciding on a norm amongst society is not a new one. It is a tale as old as time, but is this the correct way to build a society? Or is the idea of change an exercise in futility? I would like to further delve into the advantageous side effects of creativity, especially in school age children, and how these aspects can aid in the development of a healthy and independent self esteem. In this paper, I would like to expand on a speech I gave entitled “Creativity verses Conformity” by discussing the benefits of cultivating creativity in a conformist society and how that relates to and protects against the idea of the culture industry.
Conformity is defined in the journal The Development of Adaptive Conformity in Young Children as “the adoption of majority decisions” by Thomas Morgan, Kevin Laland, and Paul Harris. There is obvious and apparent evidence of conformity and the draw to
Which is quite ironic if you ask me. Blending in in order to stand out, being the best or most popular, seems quite contradictory. However, Dr. Cohen continues by stating, “tight conformity to confining environments or cultures can stifle… If one merely adapts to the will and the world of others, it is unlikely that highly creative products can result.” I don’t want to live in a society where everyone strives to be just like everyone else. So, how do we stand against this idea of an “industry-produced” society? Is there anything that we can do as part of society to combat this idea of a clone-like persona? And even if there were something we could do, would it really help? Could cultivating creativity be the answer?