Let’s talk about conformity.
In 1951, a fellow by the name of Solomon Asch did an experiment which showed that most college men would give an answer they knew was wrong to conform to the wrong answer others had been secretly told to give. Of the fifty tested, 75% conformed at least once. Only 25% never gave the wrong answer to conform.
There are plenty of problems with Asch’s study, but it and other studies have made it clear that most of us will say things we don’t believe or know to be false to “fit in”. A lot of what is going on in our world today has people doing that, so it’s not an academic issue.
The reality is conformity was a matter of life and death for most of history. Those who did not conform were seen as dangerous and at best they were outcast. And there was some validity in this. When you live on the edge of extinction, doing what’s known to work gives you the best chance of success. Doing it some other way might work better, but if it fails you’re done. This got painted onto other things that were not life or death and those who didn’t conform had it rough.
Today we don’t live in a world where non-conformity can get you killed. In truth, new ideas and different ways of doing things can be incredibly beneficial. But the pressure to conform still exists. And one place this tends to be especially true is churches. And it’s not just a top-down thing. I’ve heard many pastors say when they try to do something new they hear some version of “We’ve never done it that way before!” Often the keepers of how things are done are not the leaders, but self-appointed individuals who feel the calling to make sure everyone conforms. And honestly, those folks are killing churches and driving the lost away from Christ!
Okay, this post went a bit sideways on me. But I’m going to go with it and try to make a relevant point tomorrow. In the meantime, think about conformity. Are you a conformer? Do you pressure others to conform? Or are you all about new things and new ways?
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A great timely post. The trick of answering your question is context–as many of us are parts of a number different circles, we may find ourselves conforming in one and pushing for change in another. This can be especially difficult when your position on a particular issue is seen as conforming in one circle and pushing in another.
@Anthony – Excellent point!
Am I a conformer? Great question. My answer would come out of another question: Is this a hill worth fighting for? For me, if the hill is not worth fighting for then I’m usually happy to conform, as long as my values and principles are not being compromised. Often I realise that it comes down to preferences and I want to be a person who is accommodating without being compromising of my values and principles. Though, in saying this, I have had to work through what my values and principles are and make adjustments as I have walked this pathway of life. I continue to do so.
@Running Deeper – Ther’s a lot of wisdom in that. The problem, of course, is when not wanting to rock the boat means getting pushed out of it!