farmdoc's blog post number 684

Today’s ‘List Friday’. Twelve days ago I published this post. Though I didn’t use the word ‘conformity’, that was clearly its theme. In darling Meg’s comment on that post, she included a link to this list. It’s titled ‘Conformity: Ten Timeless Influencers’. The introduction says: ‘The pressure to conform affects everyone. Conformity is such a strong influence in society that it’s impossible to understand human behaviour without it’. I think those in power encourage, and often mandate, conformity in those they have power over – since non-conformity makes it harder for power to be effectively and efficiently wielded. (Have you ever had an enquiry to a call centre or helpline successfully dealt with after you refused to answer those inane ‘privacy’ questions they ask you?) That’s why the pressure to conform is so strong. To me the list’s preamble and postamble ascribe some negativity to conformity, despite stating ‘Conformity is not in itself a good or a bad thing’. (Is this merely classic psychologists’ non-judgementalism?) So maybe nonconformity’s okay – provided it’s not too deviant. In terms of the 10 items in the list, most are reasonably predictable and intuitively sensible. The first item caught my attention: maximum conformity’s seen in groups of 3-5 people. Reflexively I can’t think of any sports with 3-5 people in a team. Can you?

P.S. Thanks for the link, darling Meg.