Standards surround a person from birth to death, affect love relationships, friendship, work. Following certain rules, as a manifestation of a passive position, simplifies the difficult choice that arises before a person. Laws to be obeyed, rules that violate which people face conviction - this is a manifestation of conformism.
What is conformism?
Conformism is the exclusion of the individuality inherent in every being on the planet. The approval of a group of people is higher than the opinion of a single person. In conformism, there are always many warnings, the so-called "sins" that stop a person warning of the danger of being themselves. Preferences, if they are inherent in the group, are of a general nature - a benefit that is accessible to all.
Conformism in Psychology
Conformism in psychology is a phenomenon known as a sense of the unity of an individual in society. The environment sets the general mood and forms the basic cliches. Psychology, suggests to consider conformism, as a disease of generations. Traditions that support families, educational institutions and society are nothing more than a manifestation of dependence on established moral norms.
Conformism in Sociology
Social conformism is a form of dependence on the opinions of others. A conscious neglect of values that a person understands and knows in favor of public approval. The effect of conformism is especially noticeable in religious communities, where born children accept faith without a conscious approach to its important postulates. Social conformism can not be analyzed or reasoned.
Conformism in Philosophy
In philosophical teachings, the essence of conformism is described as unscrupulous. The lack of faith in one's own beliefs and playing on the public, when a person manipulates someone else's opinion (without a proper understanding of its meaning) is an adaptation. The phenomenon of conformism lies in the fact that the imposed rules do not receive the proper response in the mind of the person, that is, the person, armed with prejudices, remains empty.
Conformism and Nonconformism
In today's world, where the persistent fragile balance is the only possible mechanism for controlling chaos, conformism is displayed in absolute contrast to the standards. Nonconformism is a real phenomenon in the field of established norms, which is opposed to moral principles and generally accepted rules. Self-sufficiency, in which there is no dependence on opinions imposed from the very birth. A person who has realized her "I" does not need the approval of society. Nonconformism is an amazing phenomenon, the opposite of conformism and the opportunity for spiritual growth.
Causes of conformism
Individual human needs, suppressed by society, its imposed demands, are neglected, as something superfluous and invented. Conformism and its causes are amenable to careful study. Liberation of the individual from a single whole is a frightening discovery leading to new achievements. What is the cause of social conformism among people of different nationalities, religions and ages? The emergence of persistent moral standards and clear rules precedes:
- understated estimation of one's own abilities;
- fear of responsibility;
- A complex problem whose outcome is unknown;
- the dependence of the members of the group on each other;
- consistency of the group (the minimum number of people is five);
- public demonstration of the group's superiority.
The interaction of the members of the group is crucial, preferences, denial, sympathy or the emerging distrust towards someone or something determines the pattern of behavior and affects all members of a closed society. Aggravated conformism leads to pernicious dependence, a person who is outside the influence group is no longer able to make a decision on his own.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of conformism?
A person born in a society feels a connection with him, a certain responsibility for mutual benevolence. The pros and cons of conformism, like the phenomenon itself, change with each new day. The rules of morality, the laws are adjusted to modern man, under his fears and phobias . The phenomenon of external and internal conformism is not fully understood, but its advantages remain the same:
- cooperation in crisis situations in which a lonely person is powerless;
- reducing the load shared between team members;
- rapid adaptive capacity of a person in society.
Following the rules, the individual tempers the character and acquires useful skills. To deny the advantages of conformism is unreasonable if one takes into account the spontaneity of the external environment. Complex situations that arise without the knowledge of a person, do not always succumb to its power, individual abilities. The support provided by the group is priceless, it is necessary in solving a particular problem.
The disadvantages of conformism are:
- Loss of self . When a person is informed in advance about the conditions of his existence in the future, the individual loses his connection with his own landmarks and personal preferences. A group with established rules and norms of life simply does not give the right to choose, it is made long before a person enters the society.
- Decreased human dignity . The rights of minorities, especially in the last decade, concern not only the "white crow" of society, but also those who refer themselves to the majority. The prejudices that were created hundreds of years ago, are rooted in modern life to such an extent that nobody explains their explanation.
- Slowing down progress . Stability for the inquisitive mind is evil. A man endowed with progressive thinking never finds echoes in society.
The group decision is generated by conformism, and subsequently fuels it, thereby strengthening in each individual representative of society the desire to live according to strictly established rules. So the pressure of the public gives birth to a phenomenon that later develops and is called the "gray human mass". A society in which more representatives of those suffering conformism are much easier to manage, imposing a single perception of the world and the situation.
Types of conformism
Classification of conformism is diverse. To consider the phenomenon of standardization of individuals in society can be immediately from several opposite sides. The types of conformism include:
- internal and external subordination to society;
- life according to strictly established standards;
- the perception of the majority's opinion is the only correct point of view.
On the other hand, such a common phenomenon is either active (the person is aware of the dependence on the group), or passive (thoughtless adherence to generally accepted rules). External and internal conformism is dangerous in all its manifestations. Active conformism manifests itself in the conscious suppression of its "I", and as a result it contributes to the development of the "slave" complex. Passive form is expressed in unquestioning submission and complete loss of personal personality.
Consequences of conformism
Conformism has a disastrous effect on the full formation of personality . The main danger of conformism (external and internal conformism) for a person is:
- acceptance of false beliefs;
- unconscious fear of possible condemnation of the majority;
- A biased view of the world creates false values.
Not for nothing is the thirst for adventurism and the manifestation of maximalism peculiar only to the younger generation, which does not have the persistent influence of society. The phenomenon of conformism entails constant pressure on a person who doubts the appropriateness of certain rules established by a particular cell of society.
Conformism - how to get rid?
The main problem of conformism is that it is difficult to get rid of such a widespread, overwhelming human will. The struggle against dependence on society and its moral foundations begins with a deep self-knowledge:
- the definition of one's self as an independent person;
- awareness of their freedoms in all spheres of life;
- understanding of their rights as a person in any society.
A man who has been under moral pressure from society for a long time will be helped to work with a psychologist. For people who are psychologically resistant to imposed thoughts, getting rid of conformism is much easier than giving a soft, natural person. A psychologically weak person is much more susceptible to suggestion from outside.