Marcello In The Conformist

Irving Wallace, an American author and screenwriter, once stated: “To be one’s self, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity.” Wallace admired those who were not afraid to be the “lone wolf” and stick to their own individual ideas and character, no matter the consequences. People often view submission as the one and only route; they see a majority of the population following one another and figure it is the best option. Unfortunately, conformity does have its consequences. In The Crucible, Miller reveals that the overwhelming pressures to conform causes one’s rationality to be diminished, resulting in the destruction of their morals and ultimately a society through his use of situational and dramatic irony.

Individuals often yield to conformity when they are forced to discard their individual freedom in order to benefit the larger group. Despite the fact that it is important to obey the authority, obeying the authority can sometimes be hazardous especially when morals and autonomous thought are suppressed to an extent that the other person is harmed. Obedience usually involves doing what a rule or a person tells you to but negative consequences can result from displaying obedience to authority for example; the people who obeyed the orders of Adolph Hitler ended up killing innocent people during the Holocaust. In the same way, Stanley Milgram noted in his article ‘Perils of Obedience’ of how individuals obeyed authority and

Therefore, the study indicated that individuals with a strict upbringing by pushy parents were most likely to develop an authoritarian personality. It was believed that this was because the individual was not able to express hostility towards their parents (for being strict and critical). Consequently, the person would then displace their hostility to other people, namely those who are in a minority. Adorno et al. concluded that people with authoritarian traits, as identified by the F-Scale, were predisposed to having 'fascistic' characteristics such as ethnocentrism (the tendency to favour one's own ethnic group), respect for authority figures and obsession with power (McAvoy 2010).

Accordingly, Rotter proposed that people with an internal locus of control, having a confident personality, are more likely to resist to social influence. There are different studies supporting this idea. For instance, in their experiment consisting in interviewing the subjects, Oliner and Oliner (1988) suggested that the 406-non-Jewish participants who lived during the Holocaust in Germany and protected Jewish people were more inclined to have a higher internal locus of control in contrast to the 126 individuals who obeyed to commands. This outcome supports Rotter’s theory that internals are not as likely to follow commands in contrast to externals who may be more easily persuaded, although there may be other aspects that have to be considered in view of the circumstances people lived in WWII.

The rise of fascism in Germany in the 1930’s and the acts of aggression and atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Second World War led to questions being asked as to why some people where prone to such levels of violence and hate in the name of political ideology. The ‘Authoritarian Personality’ was a concept suggested in 1950 by German sociologist Theodor Adorno and colleagues following their research identifying the personality traits believed to allow an individual to be bias towards and follow a fascist ideology. Although initially met with great excitement, over time the authoritarian personality alone

The purpose of this essay is to outline the similarities and differences between Adorno et al.s (1950) and Altemeyers (1981) approach to authoritarianism. In 1981 Bob Altemeyer revamped Adornos study on authoritarianism, focusing on who the followers are, how they got that way, how they think and why they are so submissive and aggressive.

Conformity, known as working in unison with authorities serves an essential role in making the global community function through policies and set of laws that are regulated upon a vast population. John F. Kennedy, an American politician sheds a different light on conformity than what it is commonly understood as through his famous quote, "Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." This quote reveals the increasing control conformity has taken on one's mind, promoting the importance of being accepted by others rather than accepting one's own individual personality and capabilities. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury demonstrates conformity as a mask that hides one from the raw inner soul, abolishing one's freedom to think

A person’s environment hugely impacts who they are, what they believe in, and the manner in which they present themselves to the world. Prince Prospero from “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, and Captain Vidal from the film “Pan's Labyrinth” come from very similar environments. As a result they have similar personality traits, and their views and beliefs about the world are alike.

After Italy had been invaded by the US and the British, one of their goals was to demolish the fascist government, in which they succeeded. Mussolini was in power for about a month before he was overthrown on July 24, 1943. Before doing so, the leader had gone to his allie Hitler and was begging him for help. "Mussolini was at Rimini in northern Italy begging Hitler for more troops to resist the now-certain invasion of Italy. Hitler gave him only empty promises" (Sulzberger). Mussolini had known that he was struggling with the invasion and reached out to Hitler in order to try and save his country from being taken over. With Italy doing poorly in the invasion, the citizens were angry and wanted to find something wrong to throw Mussolini over. Fascists were angry, "On July 24, black uniformed members of the Fascist Grand Council met to depose him and, they hoped, to save their own skins while there was still time. Formally stripped of power by King Victor Emmanuel, Mussolini was arrested on the twenty-fifth and spirited off to the first of a series of isolated prisons, while Marshal Pietro Badoglio...became head of Italian Government" (Sulzberger). The people had thought that this would save the country and potentially fix the issues by getting rid of Mussolini. Little did they know that this

Niccolo Machiavelli, a Florence native, presented revolutionary ideas about leadership in his famous work “The Prince.” This sort of “how-to” handbook for rulers was written in a time when power was frequently changing hands, leaving nations in constant confusion (The Prince, 443). Machiavelli presented a way for these new leaders to maintain their power, encouraging such things as cruelty and fear as a means of governing the common people. This new concept was drastically opposed to the Christian ideals which had been taught for centuries. Despite its harshness, Machiavelli’s doctrine was accepted by many and has influenced some very popular men throughout history. One such person is none other than William Shakespeare. Multiple plays written by Shakespeare are stories of men in government who are either attempting to maintain their power or regain it. It is no wonder, then, why Shakespeare would refer to “The Prince” as a resource when writing these plays. One play in particular, “King Lear,” is evidence of Shakespeare’s acknowledgement of Machiavellian beliefs. Throughout this paly it may be witnessed how Machiavelli’s ideas on what a ruler should be were taken into account by the famous playwright, leading either to his characters’ success or downfall.

Conformity is a standard in society. Many conform to rules, laws, behaviors, and so on. However, some are against conformity when topics are controversial For example, whether one should conform to society’s absurd standards or to stay an original, an individual with their own quirks and personality. However, some situations about conformity can be less about individualism and more about realism, instances where one might conform in order to protect oneself, these conditions have been featured in both history and literature. An article titled “McCarthyism”, provides the history of America’s mass hysteria over communists, and displays how those who were accused would conform in order to keep their jobs. Arthur Miller is a playwright who

To ‘investigate this question we will first discuss, in a theoretical section, the terms “authoritarian personality” and “authoritarianism”, then have a look at the evolution in methods to measure them, with different scales and studies. Secondly, we will discuss the difference between personality and behavior. Then

The article, “The Authoritarian Personality,” written by Erich Fromm discusses the common and different characteristics between the two forms of an authoritarian personality. He starts to explain how one becomes a mature person. He states that to become a mature person, said person needs to have developed love and reason. He then states that an authoritarian character has not reached maturity, and therefore, has not developed love or reason. Erich Fromm continues to explain that the difference between the ruler and the ruled is how they start to feel “greater.” The way the ruled feels “greater” is by depending on their ruler for guidance and by following the ruler to become a part of the larger group. The way the ruler feels “greater” is by depending on the ruled to continue to look at them as strong and powerful. He then points out that one person can hold both the ruler and the ruled characteristics. Erich Fromm continues to explain the differences between rational and irrational authority and where these two forms of authority are found. He ends by saying that the understanding of love and reason, and developing said characteristics is the foundation to a person’s own authority and political democracy. While reading this article, it brought me back to all the times I have dealt with people who have authoritative personalities and how it affected me. As stated by Erich Fromm, all people with authority personalities contain components of both the ruler and the ruled.

The following essay will be about understanding what is meant by and distinguishing the differences between the terms conformity and obedience. It will show the evaluation of two key psychological studies which seek to explain why people do and do not conform, also with explanations of minority influence. Whilst seeking to understand the reasons why people obey authority, it will show an evaluation of Milgram’s study of obedience, discussing the ethical issues raised from the research and

A humanist is defined as one who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans. Niccolo’ Machiavelli can be thought of as a humanist. Although opinions on this differ greatly depending on whom you speak with. Machiavelli’s life consists of so many examples and lessons that he has learned throughout his life. Through my paper, I intend to examine his perception of morality based on his political writings and life experiences.