Studies say humans have a 'herd' mentality. Studies also say that 80% of teenagers just do whatever is considered "cool." I was wondering what you all thought about this. Do you think its good or bad? And what about the people who don't conform?
Thoughts on conformity?
- Thread starter Meg
- Start date
Personally I feel it is mainly a bad thing to follow like a herd. I think individuality is a better form of expression and freedom, and conformity only harnesses negative effects. The only time a herd mentality is worth while, is when it benefits society in general. Any other time, it's just people being brainwashed to follow an 'unproven truth' in life, such as 'doing this will help'. As an oppose to, 'do as you please'. It's unhealthy on the mind and the person altogether.
Following certain fads to be 'cool' is not truly being yourself. You could be something you aren't, to look like you are a 'cool' person. But having more popularity doesn't mean you should demoralise yourself as a human being and bring yourself to a lower level just to ultimately 'make yourself feel better' amongst others in society. You should be yourself, and be happy that you think you are cool in just doing what you want and not what anyone else says is the 'right' thing.
Following certain fads to be 'cool' is not truly being yourself. You could be something you aren't, to look like you are a 'cool' person. But having more popularity doesn't mean you should demoralise yourself as a human being and bring yourself to a lower level just to ultimately 'make yourself feel better' amongst others in society. You should be yourself, and be happy that you think you are cool in just doing what you want and not what anyone else says is the 'right' thing.
Agreed. In the words of Mr.Mackey. Conformity is bad, Mmmkay? So don't do conformity, coz conformity is bad, mmmkay?
Darth Angelo
Tuck-yet-chi-say-denie trieve trick-dis-nie
haha I love the threads you start Meg I didn't even need to check the auther to know you made this.
I am not sure I agree with either I am with all the above about people who conform but I often find that people who go out of their way to be individual or different tend to be quite difficult to get to know properly because they tend not to "follow" the usual unwritten rules on conversation.
I have enough trouble talking to people without having to tap into someones overly-unique personality just to be able to chat to them properly. Maybe it's just me, maybe I know too many people who are just a bit wierd but going too far out of your way to be individual or different is just as bad as conforming imo. It's people who know where to draw the line and meet the situation in the middle who I have the most respect for.
I am not sure I agree with either I am with all the above about people who conform but I often find that people who go out of their way to be individual or different tend to be quite difficult to get to know properly because they tend not to "follow" the usual unwritten rules on conversation.
I have enough trouble talking to people without having to tap into someones overly-unique personality just to be able to chat to them properly. Maybe it's just me, maybe I know too many people who are just a bit wierd but going too far out of your way to be individual or different is just as bad as conforming imo. It's people who know where to draw the line and meet the situation in the middle who I have the most respect for.
Obviously not everyone can be a leader, it's too confusing if we all started trying to lead and nobody followed - and humans certainly survive and proliferate better by working together, which is why the group behaviour in humans has evolved and is so strong among us. A cohesive group with a leader to direct it is more efficient than a collection of leaders and no followers, or a collection of people who just want to go their own ways. So a certain amount of a group or population will usually be happy to conform and get on with their lives within the bounds of that conformity.
And... it would also be beneficial in survival terms for a small % of any population to turn out to be 'leader material' as well, people who are not happy to conform and prefer to galvanise others to their cause, and yet another small number to be 'lone wolves', people who survive on their own and don't necessarily need a group or a leader to survive.
So... that's why a lot of people tend to follow trends, including teenagers, because most of them will be highly influenced by what the rest of the conforming group is doing, and yet a smaller number are 'different', non-conformists, but always present. Because it makes logical sense for our species to contain a strong conformist streak as opposed to a chaotic one, but also to retain a certain number of individuals that will not conform, just in case conformity turns out to be detrimental in some instances. In such instances, the non-conformists may be more likely to survive, and the human race increases its overall chances of survival by always keeping a few non-conformists around.
So in this sense it would be bad for everyone to be a non-conformist, but it is good to always have a few in there.
And... it would also be beneficial in survival terms for a small % of any population to turn out to be 'leader material' as well, people who are not happy to conform and prefer to galvanise others to their cause, and yet another small number to be 'lone wolves', people who survive on their own and don't necessarily need a group or a leader to survive.
So... that's why a lot of people tend to follow trends, including teenagers, because most of them will be highly influenced by what the rest of the conforming group is doing, and yet a smaller number are 'different', non-conformists, but always present. Because it makes logical sense for our species to contain a strong conformist streak as opposed to a chaotic one, but also to retain a certain number of individuals that will not conform, just in case conformity turns out to be detrimental in some instances. In such instances, the non-conformists may be more likely to survive, and the human race increases its overall chances of survival by always keeping a few non-conformists around.
So in this sense it would be bad for everyone to be a non-conformist, but it is good to always have a few in there.
Darth Angelo;297624 said:
Well, I'm not trying to be an individual. I am who I am, it's not something I change when people change. I'm just a person that is oftenly repelled against what the majority is attracted to. No, not in a sexual sense of matter. <.<
I CANNOT conform to everyone's way of thinking. Surely if we are unique, we have to think uniquely.
I was bullied back in school for not thinking...let alone acting like the rest of the 'herd', and personally, that made me who i am.
I'm not a public leader, I wouldn't have the confidence :lol: But, i do take charge when everyone else arounds me panics.
I was bullied back in school for not thinking...let alone acting like the rest of the 'herd', and personally, that made me who i am.
I'm not a public leader, I wouldn't have the confidence :lol: But, i do take charge when everyone else arounds me panics.
Darth Angelo
Tuck-yet-chi-say-denie trieve trick-dis-nie
I don't see anything wrong with getting into something that everybody is into if you yourself like it. What the majority does or doesn't like shouldn't even be a factor when deciding what you want to be into and vice versa you shouldn't go out of your way to do something just because it's "out there"
It seems more and more these days that uncool is the new cool.
It seems more and more these days that uncool is the new cool.
Meg;297594 said:
Humans actually don't have a 'herd' mentality, as they put it. You get people who think for themselves, and then you get people who let other people think for them. I recon that's closer to the truth. Example: Britney Spears is the pop princess. More than half the population believes this to be true and therefore become fans. FACT: Britney Spears sounds like a horseXsheep. If you're a fan, then you're probably a fan of her lack of clothing (logically thinking).
The teenager thing is also called peer pressure. Follow the majority to fit in, because who wants to be an outcast and ridiculed for being different?
Personally, I think having people conform to society should be banned. You have to look a certain way, dress a certain way, talk a certain way, have a degree, know specific people in the right circles, believe a certain way, act a certain way. And it's all baloney. The only people in this world who have gotten somewhere and made names for themselves are the people who DIDN'T conform to expectations. Nobody expected a blind person to be able to produce a symphony. Just like nobody expects someone to jump into a flood to save another human being that might be seconds from being carried away by the current. The majority of people will think 'how awful for that person, but what can we do? it's too late for them'. It will be a rare treasure to find that ONE person in the crowd who has everything to lose who will jump into that flood and help that trapped person because they thought 'that person could have been me/my son/my mom/someone I love'.
So, yeah. Conformity is just a nice way of referring to people who are too lazy to think for themselves, really.
conforming to what is "mainstream" is a bad thing to do. it irons out anything that makes you unique and renders you boring.
people who call them self "nonconformists" are just as bad, because then then certain non-mainstream things become mainstream among them.
the best thing you can do is just think for yourself. not all things that are popular are bad, and many things that are nonmainstream are terrible and only listened to because they aren't mainstream.
draw your own conclusions and take pleasure in showing people how braindead they are.
people who call them self "nonconformists" are just as bad, because then then certain non-mainstream things become mainstream among them.
the best thing you can do is just think for yourself. not all things that are popular are bad, and many things that are nonmainstream are terrible and only listened to because they aren't mainstream.
draw your own conclusions and take pleasure in showing people how braindead they are.
personally i can't conform because i don't even know what the herd is doing. i think i got distracted by something shiny when everyone else was figuring out how to keep track of trends.