Definition Essay: Why Do People Conforming?

Conforming
(A discussion to the Wilson quote)

How do I know I won’t get hurt? This is a question that everyone faces at least once in their life. For example, you want to go skydiving; on one hand it’s a huge adrenaline rush, but on the other hand there is no way of knowing if you’ll make it to the ground safely. The problem is many times we don’t know the outcome of the situation. Sure there are safety precautions like jumping with an experienced diver and of course having the parachute strapped to you back. But, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking about the possibility that the chute doesn’t open and you never even have a chance of making it through this experience. When faced with this difficult decision there are two main
roads that you can take. On one side of the road there’s a sign telling you that this is the safe and easy way out. On the other side of the road there’s a different sign telling you that this way may not be safe and easy and that it’s also full of uncertainties. Colin Wilson, author of the quote “The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disaster with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain,” puts into perspective what it means to conform. Pulling from Wilson’s quote, we’ll see why we want to conform, why we don’t want to stand out, and what it would mean to stand out. One reason we all conform is because of comfort.
People like to be comfortable, it’s just part of our human nature. We can see this from the earliest stages of life in children. When kids are playing on the playground there is always a big group of them. If something is called into question, the kids will always agree with the leader of the group or the big kid. Before they even know what they’re doing or what it actually means, they’re conforming. They’ll all play the same games and tease the same kids because it’s what everyone else is doing. They conform to fit in. This follows them up to middle school and even high school. There are always popular television shows, electronic devices, clothing styles, and fads that everyone is trying to keep up with. So many kids conform and partake in the same activities, watch the same shows, and wear the same types of clothing. Again we see people conforming, imitating, and following what is so called “in”. This isn’t the only time we witness individuals changing who they are to follow the crowd, it can also be seen in adults as well. A social standing, one which leads to conformism, is commonly called “Keeping up with the Jones.” This entails that, for example, if a neighbor gets a new car you then in turn want a new car, and will often go and buy one. Adults conform just as much a kids and children do. Although it may be in property and cars, instead of clothing and television shows, it still occurs. Throughout the different stages of life, it is still evident that people conform not only to fit in, but because it’s
comfortable. Not only do people conform to fit it, but also because they have a fear of not knowing and possibly making the wrong decision. There is no certain way of knowing if the decision we’re about to make is the right one of the wrong one. This may be what scares us the most, the fear of the unknown. We conform because then if someone is wrong then they take the heat for it. We jump on the band wagon and keep our heads down for fear of being called out on a subject we may not know the answer to. This is common with kids in classrooms. Many kids will simply take notes and hand in work when asked for it. Even if the student has a conflicting viewpoint, answer to a question, or discussion topic, these types of student don’t speak up for fear of being wrong. May are scared to stand out and say what they really think. Again, we come to the road that splits off into two different directions. One way showing us that keeping our head down and doing our work will ensure the safest route. The other suggesting that we speak up and make our opinion known. The only problem with this is that there is no way of knowing if what we’re about to say or do is right or wrong. The idea we have may be new, inventive and helpful to the group. Or, it could be detrimental and eventually lead to the downfall of the project, group, organization, etc. We don’t know, and this is what keeps people from speaking up, standing out, and not conforming to the group. Finally, there’s the question of what would actually happen if people didn’t conform. Like stated earlier, there’s always the possibility that it could be detrimental. But, it is also possible that it could lead to the incredible discovery of something new and wonderful. Standing out isn’t always a bad thing. A single case and point of this would be Martin Luther King Jr. He didn’t conform to what all the other African Americans were doing, putting their heads down and staying out of the way of the whites. He spoke up for what he believed in and tried to make a better world. In turn lots of people heard his message which lead to the beginning of the civil rights movement. King going against conformism changed the lives of millions of people all over the world. Another example of non-conformism would be the colonists. They didn’t want to conform to what the King was making England. Therefore they decided to stand out and make a change for the better. If they had stayed on the bandwagon and went along with what they were being told to do we may not have the American we have today. So what’s the point behind conforming? I believe it’s something we do because we’re comfortable with it. As humans we love to be comfortable, it’s in our human nature. From the time we’re born to being full grown adults we will resort to comfort. Another reason is because it scars us. When we conform we become part of a group. If one person falls, then the entire group falls. If you stand out on your own and don’t conform to the ideas of others then everything is dependent on you. If you fail you’re the only one that will take the blame for it. As individuals we’re scared of the unknown; it’s one of the main things that hold us back from our goals. Not knowing the outcome can be one of the scariest yet most exciting parts. Finally, we won’t ever know what we’re capable of until we try. If we chose to stick in the group and conform to the ideas of those individuals, then okay. Your personal ideas will never be heard and you have the possibility of living with regret. If you take the bold path and choose to stand out there is always the possibility you will fail, but there is also the greater chance that what you will accomplish will be amazing.