Conformity On The Road

Throughout history, many have tried to break away from society's norms in an attempt to live life more fully, one example would be Rosa Parks when she stood up for her rights and didn't move to the back of the bus like society has shaped the laws back then. As a result of this incident, Parks ended up getting arrested and sent to court for not following the law. In contrast, some may choose to follow the rules of others thinking that’s their best decision. An example of this figure would be Boxer from the book Animal Farm, when he adopted his first motto “ I will work harder” (Orwell 18) after the first harvest following the Rebellion. Boxer never knew about the advantage Napoleon was taking on towards him,

On The Road begins with the protagonist, Sal, (representative of author Jack Kerouac), being overwhelmed by feelings of confusion and uncertainty regarding his personal identity. He then meets ‘Dean Moriarty’, an eccentric character who rejects societal values and ‘norms’. Sal is absorbed with and entranced by Dean, perceiving him as almost ‘superhuman’, and decides to follow him across the country. A passive character, Sal soon becomes dependent on Dean, mimicking his friend rather than discovering his personal identity. It is likely that such behaviour was greatly influenced by events that occurred in Jack Kerouac’s childhood . Eventually, Sal realises that if he is to be independent,

Conformity refers to an individual’s behavior that is performed because of group pressure, even though that pressure might not involve a direct request. Many people want to think that they are conformist enough so that they are not looked upon as strange to others and nonconformist enough to demonstrate that they are capable of thinking by themselves. For many years, psychologists have been interested in human conformity. Usually when people are in groups, they behave according to how those in the group behave. That indicates that conformity can affect a person’s behavior and make a person do things that may be against their ethics, attitudes, and morals. The study of

Many individuals is faced with the decision of conforming or choosing personal desire, and it is not an easy decision. It is hard because being shunned by others for being different is not a good feeling. Choosing to conform over personal desire, often leads to loss. On the other hand, personal desire is what sets others apart and gives them joy. In the poem, “The Jackhammer Syndrome”, Al Purdy discusses the good and bad memories he has experienced. He goes through his memories of when he had fun and made mistakes, but he reflects on what he could have done better. The author of “The Jackhammer Syndrome informs against choosing the welcoming joy of conformity over the long-term gains of personal desire. Making the decision to pursue conformity over personal desire may seem easy at first, but if the choice is to conform, the joy it gives will not last. Making the decision to pursue conformity over personal desire Conformity may seem to give joy at first, but it does not last. When Al is playing pool with his brother, he wants to win badly, but losses. However when he did not care to win, Al wins! Conforming can lead to loss but personal desire has much to gain. If the choice is to conform, personal identity may be lost. In my life, I recognize several instances in which I found several similarities between Al and myself. I have made decisions that were not always good ones such as swimming across long distances with friends.

Conformity is a concept that has been heavily researched in the field of social psychology. Conformity is defined as a change in behavior, beliefs, and attitudes due to group pressure perceived as real (encompassing the presence of others) or imagined (encompassing the pressure of social standards) (Myers, 2010, p. 192). The concept of conformity is a powerful influence on the tendency for people to arrange their thoughts, perspectives, and ideas with others, especially when in a group. This takes away from a person’s individuality because they want to feel accepted by others and therefore, a person will accomplish this basic need of approval through conforming.

As readers, we see how the analysis of conflictive themes has been taking over literature scenarios. When reading between the lines of certain books we can perceive themes such as conformity and rebellion. Mostly these themes can be seen in writings from times of social upheaval. According to The Oxford Dictionary, the word conformity means “behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards”, while rebellion means “the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention.” These terms create a constant battle among societies. A certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason society has laws, rules and expectations. Literature represents life, and these themes can be found at the root of many literary works. Conformity can also be considered as silence. This silence is based on the restrictions of real feelings and thoughts in some literary pieces. During the sixteenth century, the emphasis on conformity was at its height. Works of literature from this time period have often reflected a fascination and frustration with this particular characteristic. People do not want to be restricted in terms of expressing opinions and developing certain activities. When facing oppression, denial of their freedom, they rebel, and that contributes to the part of the process of change in society. Not all kinds of rebellions are rationally fundamental, but when they are, it can transform society for the

Willa Cather's "Paul's Case," displays the conflict between conformity and individuality through the main character, Paul. On a number of occasions, Paul is forced to lie and steal to escape the conformists who wish to control him and stifle his unique imagination. However, his lying, stealing, and attempts to escape the conformists, only force Paul into isolation, depression, and feeling a sense of shame for his individuality. Throughout the story one might see Cather's constant contrast of individuality versus conformity, as well as Paul's lying and stealing. Cather seems to draw the conclusion that extreme individuals, much like Paul are simply misunderstood, and not offered the acceptance they desire

In both narratives, the writers denote that people have to struggle to acquire the knowledge they require to make their lives better. They indicate that one has to go against the normal way of in order to gain liberty in life. Emerson says that people should learn to get directions from inside themselves and not

“To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society.”

A nonconformist is a person who refuses to fall in line with society's ideals and rigid structure. Moldbreakers, a person marching to their own drum, even the extent of anarchists can all be synonomis with the term nonconformist. Regularly, nonconformists are fed up with society's visions and wear their beliefs on their sleeves. If you've ever protested or went against a social norm, you can label yourself as a nonconformist. However, when it gets to the extreme of causing terror and mass hysteria, the nonconformist becomes the anarchist and the terrorist. While it is always a good idea to go with your own flow, don't allow yourself to be swept up and thrown into the idealistic rapids. Nonconformity beckons people with the promise of peace of mind with oneself, but does little to warn of the inevitable pitying stares and being looked down on. While nonconformists are usually known for their happiness in the agent of change role they take on, one can't forget about the darker side.

To start with it is important to determine what each of these social processes mean, in order to understand which psychological factors are involved. Conformity is a behavioural change in response to social pressure, either real or imagined. Compliance is a behaviour change in response to an explicit request to perform an action. Obedience is a behaviour change in response to a demand or order to carry out an action. Each of these processes are undertaken due to different psychological pressures being put on the individual, from believing that they have no choice but to carry out the action – obedience, to carrying out the action because they want to feel accepted.

Emerson demonstrates that since “man has built a coach,” he “has lost the use of his feet” (5). He means that in the past, man would rely on himself for transportation by using his own two feet. Emerson uses a metaphor and cause-and-effect to explain that after the transportation is provided by technological advances, man will no longer use his feet. He will go from relying on himself to relying on society, especially if everybody else also does so. The cause, man building a coach, results in him no longer able to use his feet. The cause-and-effect teaches nonconformity because the reader is informed that by relying on society, man has lost the most important skill of all, which is self-reliance. As a result, he becomes weaker as an individual. In order to be a nonconformist, Emerson believes that one should not be afraid to be different from everybody else. By using cause-and-effect, Emerson is able to convey his thoughts about separating one’s mentality from society’s.

Emerson writes that “The power men possess to annoy [him] [he gives] them by a weak curiosity.” (12) When Emerson “gives [company]… a weak curiosity,” he is submitting power to them and pays not only in this loss of power but in his irritation. In addition to losing power, a conformist may also be in pain when they feign interest. In putting on “the foolish face of praise, … the muscles… grow tight… and make the most disagreeable sensation.” Emerson communicates the great discomfort this compulsion to adhere brings, even stating that “no brave man will suffer [it] twice.” Emerson effectively argues that the pain of practicing a public persona is actually greater than encountering uncomfortable company, because while a man cannot avoid certain social interactions with complete success he can choose to be forthcoming about his disinterest in his peers. This relates to a greater theme in Emerson’s writing, that being true to one’s self ultimately instead of being true to etiquette leads to a more pleasant, authentic, and rewarding existence.

I formally agree with most of what Feys conveys as his ideas of conformity and why in our society it is a big deal of whether or not people should conform by the will of others. Feys main argument against the normality of conformity is when he states, “ Living in society, we are under constant pressure to surrender our individuality to the will of the majority.” Most people of society have agreed to this statement without replying to this direct comment but everyone knows the idea of peer-pressure in which an individual is emotionally pushed to do something that was not wanted of them. We see the issues of peer pressure in a number of places, for example, in a study by Thomas J Berndt a professor of developmental psychology conducted an experiment

Many people have been affected in some shape or form by others around them. Social influence has many different parts to it and affects our everyday lives.