Dangers Of Conformity

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Dangers of Conformity John Galbraith writes, “Humanity’s most valuable assets have been the non-conformists. Were it not for the non-conformists, he who refuses to be satisfied to go along with the continuance of things as they are, and insists upon attempting to find new ways of bettering things, the world would have known little progress, indeed.” Are you a Democrat because everyone you know and grew up with is? Did you choose your university based on where your friends were going to university? What about your work? Did you become a doctor or accountant because that was what your parents and family expected of you? What about your faith and spirituality? That’s a tricky one. Are you a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu just because your parents were? Are you happy with those decisions? Conformity will always be part of how we fit into society and how we adapt to social norms but in many cases conformity can be dangerous. In truth, any sheep-like beliefs are risky. Conformity is perilous. It is hazardous for our society and it is hazardous for your happiness. It is only in learning to think for yourself that will lead you to true happiness. What is conformity? People’s attitudes and beliefs become influenced by other people as part of the process of conformity. It can take many forms, either something that happens quite openly like peer pressure or it can be a more subtle influence that takes place over a number of years. The result is that you end up behaving like everybody else. Sheep play follow the leader, they rarely seem to think for themselves. A sheep is what you are perceived as when you do what everyone else is doing. How sheep-like are you? In general, you may feel that you are not a follower that instead of following the crowd, you are an individual. Are you really free and autonomous not letting other other’s beliefs sway you? Maybe, however,
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