Did you ever have the feeling that everything was the same?, Did you feel thatyour life lacked emotion?
As the famous phrase of the renowned linguistNoam Chomsky mentions: “Conformism is the easy way, and the way to privilege and prestige; Dissent brings personal costs.”
We all, at some point in our lives, go throughstages of conformityor circumstances that make us believe that we must accept things as they are given to us, for fear of the costs of going against the majority.
That happens when we take refuge in ourcomfort zoneand avoid deciding for fear of making mistakes. For that reason, below we share an article where you can know what triggersconformismand especially how we can avoid it.
Index
ToggleWhat is conformism?
When talking aboutconformism(1), we refer to thechange of beliefs or behaviorsdue to the pressure of a group, this modifies the previous decisions of the subject in the direction of the norm established by the group.
What does this mean? It means that when we enter intoconformist thinking, our actions do not go according to what we want or want but respond to what we believe is expected of us.
Note: We settle and transform into someone we don’t resonate with.
Characteristics of conformism
While we can go throughconformist moments, it is important to recognize them and be able to take back the reins of our lives. Contrary to what it pretends to be, conformism alienates us and leads us to feel uncomfortable in our own skin.
Then we invite you to read the characteristics of conformism, so you can identify it.
It is a psychological phenomenon.
In it, the naïve individual restructures his ideas about the phenomenon on which he presents conformity, processes of
Conclusion: In short, the individual changes his ideas about what generates conformity to feel that it is what generates well-being.
Involves changing your mind under pressure from third parties
Conformists often act as a Social Chameleon and as Erich Fromm mentions, these people assume the color of their environment and seek to see themselves and identify themselves as others. (3)
Of course, this way of behaving will generate a division between his feelings and the disguises with which he appears.
It is based on the desire for integration and acceptance
According to a study by the Universidad Abierta Iberoamericana (UAI) , conformism is associated with the dimensions of social integration and social acceptance. (4)
These people believe that by conforming, they will begin to belong and generate bonds of trust and positive attitudestowards others. However, they dismiss the most important thing and that is that they are acting under the ideas of others, losing theiridentity .
Give in to social pressure
After conducting his famous experiment in the 1950s regarding Social influence , Asch came to the conclusion that individual processing is affected by Majority thinking , no matter how erroneous or absurd it may be. (5)
In this sense, conformism makes a person get carried away by collective ideas and behaviors of the environment, leaving individuality aside .
It occurs much more in women
After an analysis, psychologists Smith and Bond concluded that women are affected to a greater extent by social influence and on topics in which they are less expert. (6)
This may be due to the historical social condition of women, of assuming submissive and docile behaviors, which has been the product of established social norms in almost all social groups.
It seeks to avoid conflicts and rejections
Many times those who are afraid of rejectionand avoid all kinds of conflicts, fall into conformism. This happens, since they associate the ‘normal’ world with sobriety, decorum and conformism.(7)
Important: Avoiding all kinds of conflicts can take us to the other extreme and in that case we will fall into Hedonism , defiance of authority and carelessness.
They tend to imitate the behaviors of others
According to Helbert Kelman , conformity is the degree to which members of a social group will change their behavior, opinions, and attitudes to fit the views of the group. (8)
As we have already mentioned, the person who is in a Conformist Situationblends in with the others. Assuming behaviors and ideas that are not his, but that he assumes as if they were.
Causes of conformism
Conformism usually occurs for various reasons and can be induced by external as well as internal factors. We will develop each of them below.
Education received
Note: Many children become adults who follow the majority simply out of habit or because they believe that this is the way it should be.
Low selfsteem
Those who lack self-esteem seek to make a favorable impression. In this sense, these people begin to feel pressure seeking to be accepted by others. (10)
This is because they believe that if they act as the rest expect them to, they will be accepted.
Lack of motivation
When being in a conformist state, a lack of motivation or apathyis usually experienced, since by not going for our desires, everything seems to us that it does not matter. We feel that nothing fills us, therefore nothing motivates us.(eleven)
Lack of personal identity
By diluting our personality into that of others, it can lead us to not know who we areand what our own identity is. We forget what moves and motivates us and we live life as if we were in limbo. Not quite dead, not quite alive.
Effects of conformism
Being in a conformist state for a significant period of time will begin to affect us. It is essential to listen to our body and attend to our mental health so as not to fall into it.
Therefore, do not hesitate to take action if you find yourself in this situation. Next we will develop each of its effects.
Personality disorders
Conformism can lead us to have certain personality disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder . (12)
Milon , defines that this disorder belongs to the pattern of conformism where the individual worries about order, perfectionism and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of spontaneity and efficiency.
loss of individuality
By merging with the group we lose our individuality. Although it is necessary to form ties and networks, we should not confuse it with leaving aside ourPrinciples and valuesand delving into conformism.
Lack of own commitment
If we take responsibility for ourselves, sooner or later we will go through a conformist stage .
Committing toOneself means running the risk that certain people will not accept us and wanting to avoid it can lead us to do what we think others expect of us.
negative self-perception
According to a study carried out at the University of Cuenca , those who have a negative self-perception of themselves seek to imitate the majority, considering that they will be able to perceive themselves in a positive way by being equal to others. However, this only increases its negativity.(13)
excessive dependency
By delegating our Power of Decision to the views of others, we generate an excessive dependence on others, where the views of others are more important than any thought of our own.
Note: That is why it is important to assume our role and not delegate to others.
Frustration
Feeling that we can’t decide or that we don’t have a choice can lead us to feel frustratedand when we get frustrated we really feel that there is no more to do. It is then that we lower our arms and enter into conformism.
How I think I can’t, then I just think I must accept what is given to me. However, this concept is wrong and only makes us go deeper and deeper intonegligence .
Depression
When depressed, we feel listless almost as if we lack vitalitytag. Faced with this feeling, we assume that it is not for us to decide or that we simply do not care.
We follow others practically without desire or emotion , since we have lost our motivation , it works as fuel for our desires. If we feel listless, we will not be able to go after them.
How to avoid conformism?
First of all, to avoid conformism we must recognize that we do not want it to be a part of our lives. Once this affirmation is assumed, we must find a way toStrengthen our identity .
Here we show you how you can avoid falling into conformity and lead a full life.
Accept yourself as you are
If we do not accept ourselves as we are,No one will be able to do so since we will be showing a different image of who we really are.
Tip:A good exercise is to write down those things that you like about someone you admire and in another column those that you admire about yourself. We are sure that you will be able to find several similarities.
Strengthen self-esteem
While accepting ourselves as we are is the first step to Building Self-esteem, we should thank ourselves for everything we’ve accomplished. As the well-known expression says,the universe responds to the law of attraction .
Tip: We suggest that to work on yourself-esteemwrite down everything you have achieved in one column and what you want to achieve in another. Both columns must be written in the present tense.
Working on self-love
There may be certain things you don’t like. But instead of focusing on what you shouldn’t focus on what yes and that is achievedby strengthening self-love .
Think about those things that you like about yourself, reward yourself every time you get a small achievement and remember to let go of all those negative thoughts that do nothing but hurt you and hinder your progress.
Express opinions, desires and criteria without fear
Saying what we think, feel and think makes it possible for us to go out into the world to recognize our own identity and for others to see our true essence .
Although it is complex at first, we promise that being more in tune with your essence will surround you with more people who resonate with you.
Stand firm on decisions
Being firm with the decisions we make means being coherent and responsible with who we are.
Note: We should not doubt ourselves when deciding, since the more firmly we act, the more consistently we will go on the path we have chosen.
Seek professional help if necessary
Sometimes getting into conformism can be almost as complex as getting out of it. This happens because we tend to assumelimiting beliefs that only condition us and limit our progress.
Important: When you feel that no matter how much you want it is impossible for you to leave that place where you are, it is important to go to a professional.
Having the support of someone specialized will help you find and break all those patterns that limit you.
Key Findings
- Conformism can generate some personality disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- When being in a conformist state, a lack of motivation is usually experienced, since by not going for our desires, everything does not matter to us.
- Conformism modifies previous decisions in the direction of the norm established by the group.
- Conformism can lead us to get frustrated and feel that there is no more to do.

University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.