CONFORMITY and the
CREATIVE MIND
MOYA SHARMA
CONFORMITY and the
CREATIVE MIND
Conformity: Behaviour in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards
CONTENTS
UNDERSTANDING CONFORMITY
04
HOW PRESSURE TO CONFORM CAN INSPIRE CREATVITY
16
HOW CREATIVES DEAL WITH CONFORMITY
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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UNDERSTANDING CONFORMITY What is conformity? Is it good or bad, and is it harming my creative spark? So many questions, but this section’s got you covered!
04
CONFORMITY CAN BE POSITIVE?
In our culture we tend to think of conformity in negative light, if you look at the origin of the word “conform,” it really just means, “to form.” To form a group, each person works to fit into that group. Accepting and acknowledging the wishes of your peers is one step to being accepted by your peers. Edward puts it in a more user friendly way: “connecting better.” We are like pieces of a puzzle, each connected, and each needed to form the whole.
05
FOLLOWING THE HERD
If its still widely criticized, why do we still do it? Conformity is a universal feature across societies, which suggests that it has an evolutionary advantage. If people in one society are socially pressured to use only words during a disagreement, for example, that society will do better over time than one where people use fists.
08
GOING WITH THE FLOW
If we adapt our behavior to meet the reasonable and apparent needs and expectations of others around us, then those people are more likely to see, and allow us to celebrate, our individual differences. This means we first have to work to fit in before the group is willing to celebrate more openly our individuality – our uniqueness - and appreciate our contribution to the group. Those who don’t work to fit in may not be celebrated for standing out.
“Much of the time, it is in the interest of the individual to follow the crowd, but in the social interest for individuals to say and do what they think best” -Cass Sunstein, Harvard law professor
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As much as we venerate rebels, free-thinkers, and marching to the beat of our own drum, in reality it’s much easier—and more common—for us to follow the crowd. Our natural tendency for conformity strikes many as harmful, but it can also strengthen bonds and generate outcomes that benefit both groups and individuals. Cass Sunstein
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WHEN IS IT BETTER TO CONFORM?
Solving coordination problems, like getting everyone to drive on the right side of the road, and solving collective action problems, like making a group decision to mutually respect private property.
For individuals, it might be rational to not respect others’ property, but for the group as a whole, it’s best to do so. Conforming solves that problem.
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HOW PRESSURE TO CONFORM CAN INSPIRE CREATVITY Admittedly, that sounds like an oxymoron; creative thinking and conformity are usually considered mutually exclusive. But newly published research finds a specific sort of arm twisting can help people who aren’t terribly innovative increase their creative output.
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The key is encouraging people to think independently, within the confines of a group project. “In groups composed of less-creative personalities, pressure to be individualistic stimulated more creativity than pressure to be collectivistic,” the researchers report. In other words, the creatively timid responded to the think-for-yourself directive and came up with more innovative ideas. In the researchers’ words, strongly encouraging independent thinking “within the safe confines of a relatively structured environment” was the catalyst for a certain amount of creative blossoming. Importantly, this pressure did not boost creativity in the groups composed of very creative personalities. The researchers note that “highly creative people, by their very nature, attempt to stand out and assert their uniqueness.” 17
Not surprisingly, these natural innovators didn’t respond to the “heavy-handed techniques” employed here. They are “the lucky few whose creative talent requires no intervention.” In the researchers’ view, these results suggest that “proven creative talent” should be given “the autonomy to decide for themselves how they behave.” But people who don’t conceive of themselves as creative can benefit from a managerial directive that tells them independent thinking isn’t only acceptable — it’s company policy.
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The practice of art is not so much about the finished product, but rather about learning to see or hear things differently. Chris Guillebeau
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COMFORMITY IN THE PAST AND PRESENT
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In the days of the Caveman, conformity may have been of survival value when interacting with other tribes. By acting as the group did, the individual may be seen in a better light and therefore be accepted by the group, bringing benefits such as protection, food, and companionship. It is seen even in today’s world that we generally get along better with people similar to ourselves, conformity can give this illusion that we are more like others as we do as they do and reap the benefits.
It is most likely group norms which have formed the laws we abide by today in fact. Back to thousands of years again where the cavemen congregated in their groups, they would have had group norms similar to some of the laws we have today such as not to kill someone else and not to steal. Therefore, conformity may have contributed to the law and order we have in the world today.
USEFUL IN UNFAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS: Dance class: mimicking the people around you and move like them to avoid embarrassment 22
HOW CREATIVES DEAL WITH CONFORMITY From determining daily habits, to how confoming affects the cultivation of our creative ideas, this section acts as guidance including tips and tricks in how to break the stagnant chain.
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Good artists look for relationships among diverse ideas. Striving for progress is the ultimate goal.
When trying to reach a goal, evaluating high resources and low demands leads to a mostly positive, invigorating experience called challenge, which corresponds with feeling confident. Low resources and high demands lead to a much less confident state called threat, which may produce feelings of anxiety. 25
“When participants’ goal was to fit in with a group of people who disagreed with them, their cardiovascular responses were consistent with a psychological threat state,” says Seery. “In contrast, when the goal was to be an individual among a group of people who disagreed with them, their cardiovascular responses were consistent with challenge. “You may have to work to reach a goal, but when you experience challenge, it is more like feeling invigorated than overwhelmed. It is consistent with seeing something to gain rather than focusing on what can be lost,” he says.
“It could easily be overwhelming to face a group on the other side of an issue or candidate, but this study suggests that reminding yourself of wanting to be an individual can make it a better experience, challenging instead of threatening, invigorating instead of overwhelming,” Mark Seery: associate professor of psychology at University of Buffalo
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LEADERSHIP AND FACING CONFORMITY
Leadership is the willingness to move in a different direction than others. If we want to lead, then the real question is how can we resist the pull of conformity and stand courageously in truth and right? How can we live the values that make us and our colleagues trustworthy? 1. have a clear, strong, and committed values. What do you believe in? And how resolutely are you willing to stand behind those beliefs? Are you willing to be vulnerable? To be embarrassed? To be disliked? To be fired? Powerful, trustworthy leaders answer yes to all of those questions. 2. yearn to see what is going on around you. Can you see it for what it is? 3. finding the courage to act when something is going on that is out of sync with your values. To say something. To stand up to power, if that’s what it takes. And to do it skillfully, and with respect, so that you are more likely, not only to succeed, but also to preserve the relationships around you where possible.
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Finding courage is the most difficult because it requires that we go against the norm of what is going on around us. And, while that might be something we’re born with, it doesn’t come naturally to us as adults. It takes practice! Practice in small ways: -Keep common workspace clean when everyone around you is leaving it messy. -Work every day even when the people around you are taking sick days. Act or speak differently than the people around you. -Make different choices than others: choose not to eat dessert or drink when everyone else is. -Avoid ingoring your own desires and doing what others say because it sounds “right.” -Step outside your comfort zone. -Finding joy and happiness leads to progress, fulfillment, and meaning. -Listen to your gut and trust your intuition. -Appreciate and be present in the moment When you do those things, slow down enough to feel its impact on you. Knowing that you can tolerate that feeling is the secret to escaping its hold on you, giving you the freedom to act in line with your values.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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USING COMMUNITY BASED RESOURCES
Although this book merely acts as an infomation tool, there are many other advanced options in your local community and online. Seeking proper guidance and counselling from proffessionals such as a psychologists, school councillors, and social workers allows for information and assistance to be widely accessed. Psychologists also practice online, and there are a variety of resources available. BetterHelp and JustAnswer are two examples of websites that allow you to connect and chat with verified therapists. HELPFUL WEBSITES
www.betterhelp.com www.psychiatryonlinecanada.com www.justanswer.com/psychiatrist/health-care
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ONLINE SOURCES -https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/articles/201906going-the-flow -https://psmag.com/social-justice/pressure-to-conform-can-inspire-creativity-39557 -https://chrisguillebeau.com/the-artist-in-each-of-us/ -https://www.futurity.org/conformity-group-1231002-2/ -https://hbr.org/2015/10/the-high-cost-of-conformity-and-howto-avoid-it -https://www.elitedaily.com/life/motivation/find-meaning-life
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Find courage to go against the norm Step OUTSIDE your comfort zone
listen to your gut Be present in the moment
Find your true
joy
Courage takes practice! (be patient with yourself)
STAND UP TO POWER
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