Nonconformism: what it is, pros and cons, reasons

Nonconformism actively manifests itself in adolescence, when young people strive to show their individuality. Denial of generally accepted rules, constant contradictions with adults, arguments on any topic - all this is typical for young rebels.

In adult life there is also a place for inconsistency, rebellion, and the desire to differ from the “gray masses.” Nonconformism structures all this in psychology and other scientific disciplines. If you have long noticed that every time you contradict accepted norms, you are confident that you are right and are ready to fight for your truth, perhaps you are a real nonconformist.

Now let’s figure out what nonconformism is and how it manifests itself.

What is nonconformism

Nonconformism is a combination of rebellion, an active life position, and the desire for individualism. The individual to whom this concept applies denies generally accepted rules and norms, does not comply with requirements and tries to have his own opinion that contradicts the majority.

Most often, this feature manifests itself in the form of teenage nonconformism, when young boys and girls “revolt” against society and, first of all, their parents.

Speaking about what nonconformism is in simple words, we should emphasize the importance of disagreement in terms of this concept. That is, the individual prefers to disagree, to deny some norms and rules.

Nonconformism and conformism are opposite concepts. The latter means compliance, agreement with general rules, suggestibility and subordination.

Description of nonconformism

If we define the concept of “nonconformism” in simple terms, then we can say that it represents a refusal of what goes against the beliefs of the individual.
Moreover, a person does not simply express disagreement. He actively protests. The individual criticizes the authorities, fights for the repeal of regulations that contradict his principles, defends his rights and tries to emphasize the absurdity of established rules.

If we examine what nonconformism is, the definition shows that a person protests against

:

• laws that worsen his standard of living;
• social phenomena;
• political events;
• rules that contradict his beliefs;
• outdated norms of behavior, etc.

At a certain period of life, any person is temporarily capable of moving along a similar path.
Differences in age, nationality, gender or religion predispose people to take the side of the minority, but are not decisive factors.

In order to understand what nonconformism means, it is necessary to mention that precisely from these people:

• revolutionary leaders emerge;
• oppositionists are growing up;
• they become leaders of protest movements;
• single pickets and protest rallies are being held;
• Minority parties are emerging;
• dissidents are formed, etc.

Causes

A person is born with a set of natural qualities, which can be adjusted if desired or due to life circumstances. Traits characteristic of nonconformists may develop at a conscious age, or may accompany a person from birth.

When the desire to stand out and oppose oneself to society are acquired qualities, their formation is due to certain reasons. Such reasons may be:

• hidden or overt desire to control and dominate;
• a feeling of helplessness that creates a desire to become strong and be able to withstand any difficulties;
• the desire to preserve one’s individuality and resistance, if necessary, to “bend under” someone;
• no need to constantly confirm that you are right, since self-confidence is unshakable.

In other words, the start of nonconformist beliefs in most cases originates from a person’s personal qualities.

Reasons for nonconformism

There are a fairly large number of reasons that can lead to nonconformist behavior. Psychologists call the following factors as the most important:

• need for dominance;
• a feeling of helplessness and a desire to correct the situation;
• desire to be an individual;
• categorical unwillingness to obey someone else's will;
• unshakable confidence in one’s rightness.

It can be noted that many of these reasons are themselves findings for a psychologist. But one way or another, nonconformism in most cases develops from very specific personality traits.

Signs

A fairly clear sign that a person is a nonconformist is his self-confidence in his own rightness. Moreover, an individual may not even know such a concept, but this does not deprive him of certain qualities, for example, the following:

• high, sometimes inflated self-esteem;
• insensitivity to external circumstances;
• demonstration of one’s opinion, contrary to the generally accepted one;
• the desire to be unique;
• desire to assert oneself;
• desire to dominate;
• having your own opinion on any matter;
• independence.

Nonconformity is considered in many disciplines, including philosophy and psychology. This is an isolated movement, whose adherents strive to stand out from the crowd with their atypicality and uniqueness.

Solomon Asch's experiment

The problem of conformity was raised in the 50s of the 20th century by the American psychologist Solomon Asch, conducting one of the most high-profile experiments in social psychology.

*Asch's experiment: find two identical segments.

A group of volunteers gathered, among whom all but one person were in cahoots with Asch. Participants were shown two cards: one showed a standard segment, and the other showed three segments of different lengths. It was necessary to determine which of the three segments corresponds to the standard.

The answer is obvious when you are alone in front of the monitor. Miracles begin when everyone around unanimously gives the wrong answer.

We will not delve into the algorithm of the experiment, but its results are amazing: 75% of unsuspecting subjects at least once, not believing their eyes, repeated the incorrect answer of the majority.

And 32% betrayed themselves again and again, each time giving the wrong segments. Moreover, throwing began when there were more than three participants in the group.

Solomon Asch's experiments revealed two causes of conformity :

1. A person does not want to go against public opinion;
2. A person believes that the majority is better informed than he is.

Three factors influence conformal behavior

1. Social support - if at least one more person from the group disagrees with the opinion of the majority, the indicators of conformity fall.
2. Emotional connection with the group - the more attractive the group is to a person, the more willingly he adapts to it, sincerely sharing the ideas of the majority.
3. Group size - the larger the crowd, the higher the likelihood that a person will show himself to be a conformist.

Advantages and disadvantages

Let's look at the pros and cons of nonconformism. The phenomenon itself does not bring anything bad, but if a person decides to go to extremes, things can end in tears. So, the cons:

• excessive desire to stand out, using methods that can harm others;
• adherence to a contradictory opinion out of a desire to rebel, and not out of sincere support for it;
• propaganda of destructive rules out of a desire to prove one’s power of persuasion;
• self-affirmation at the expense of those who are weaker.

There are also advantages, since nonconformism is a multifaceted concept. Advantages:

• introduction of new technologies, knowledge, skills that contradict generally accepted ones, but surpass them in their effectiveness;
• adequate individualism, creating a unique personality with interesting and unusual views on familiar events and things;
• development of critical thinking and constant analysis of information coming from outside.

The achievements of nonconformism are formed precisely from its positive manifestations. If an individual strives to defend his own position and deny everything common, his opinion should be based on real facts, so as not to bring destructive energy to the masses.

Conformity is...

Conformism (from the Latin conformis - similar, conformable ) is a concept related to ethical standards, social psychology and political views of a person. The closest synonym is opportunism .

In the most general sense, conformism is a correction of behavior or worldview under the influence of someone else’s opinion.

A conformist passively goes with the flow , agrees with the party's policies and does not have his own point of view on what is happening. Or rather, he has, but this point of view is poured into his ears by propaganda, friends, authoritative people, traditions.

There is another type of conformism, when a person is forced to submit to the opinion of the majority, pushing his beliefs deeper. Such formal agreement leads to intrapersonal conflict.

Conformity is also submission to the herd instinct.

The mechanism of conformal behavior is familiar to each of us - remember how we all cross the road at a red light if other pedestrians have already walked, ignoring the prohibiting signal.

*Life-threatening manifestation of conformity

Examples of nonconformism

Nonconformity is part of history. The existence of humanity has always been replete with individuals who questioned generally accepted truths. For example, the world-famous Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno. The scientist denied existing theories of the world order and proposed his own works, which were received negatively by society. The sad end of a philosopher is burning at the stake for heresy.

The equally famous “witch hunt,” which occurred in many cultures at different times, is more likely to refer to conformity. Society has been taught that, for example, beautiful women with red hair are absolutely witches. The led people believed in similar truths for decades and centuries, just so as not to bother themselves with research and analysis of their horrific actions.

Nonconformism is easier to understand through examples. Another common manifestation is stubbornness and rebellion in children and adolescents. And if everything is clear with little people, since they explore the world and constantly check what is possible and what is not, then with teenagers the situation is different. It seems that every second teenager is an ardent nonconformist.

Most often, young representatives of society strive to contradict and defend their own principles not so much for the sake of such principles themselves, but for the sake of disagreement itself. For example, parents require you to put things in a closet and keep order. The desire to step back and “revolt” pushes the teenager into an obvious contradiction - he will not put things in the closet, but will carelessly throw them on a chair, on the floor, on the bed. In general, anywhere except the closet.

Think about yourself when you think about resistance. Examples of nonconformism in your life will definitely come up, even if not directly related to you. Any examples will give a complete picture of the understanding of what the content of the concept of “nonconformism” is.

Examples of public nonconformism

A nonconformist is characterized by pronounced personal inclinations.
He has a well-formed worldview and a reluctance to submit to outdated principles. Another external factor is social pressure. The more stuffy the atmosphere, the stronger the individual expresses his protest.

“Nonconformism” is a very capacious concept. This trend often gives rise to original ideas and directions. A striking example is the informal art groups in the former USSR: “Lianozovskaya Group” (N. Vechtomov, L. Masterkova, O. Rabin) and “Moscow Conceptualism” (I. Kabakov, A. Monastyrsky).

For reference!

We also need to remember such a direction as formalism.
Its participants did not want to display socialist ideals, but preferred external form. They wanted to be free from any social aspirations in order to devote all their creativity only to reflecting reality as it is, without embellishment. The feeling of being removed from society gave their paintings enormous energy potential, creating a dark and bright atmosphere.
There is also literary nonconformism; books written by various authors are proof of this. Examples of teenage protest are shown in the works of E. Burgess “A Clockwork Orange” and D.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. K. Kesey provides a prime example of a rebel in his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

G. Hesse also studies a similar phenomenon in his book “Steppenwolf”.

In our country, there are also many examples of literary nonconformism. These include A. Rybin, A. Vampilov, E. Limonov, V. Sorokin, etc.

There is a center for archival data, art and science - the Museum of Nonconformism (St. Petersburg). He promotes art and de-commercialization of culture in Europe, Russia and the USA.

This direction in science is of great importance. Thanks to D. Bruno or G. Galileo, humanity received a new system of cosmological views.

Examples from life should also be given. It seems surprising now, but at the beginning of the twentieth century. Komsomol members were a movement of non-adjusters. Red Guards in the PRC performed similar public functions.

Goths, punks or hippies illustrate teenage and youthful nonconformity. Movement participants do not accept what is imposed on them. That is, the use of unconventional strategies for solving a problem is called nonconformism.

Among the advantages of the appearance of his supporters:

• teaching society to be tolerant;
• people's respect for minority opinions;
• resolving long-standing conflicts;
• flourishing of cultural values;
• reduction of social tension;
• creation of philosophical theories;
• socialization of protest sentiments;
• accelerating social progress;
• the formation of new trends in art, etc.

How to become a nonconformist

The question of what unites the concepts of conformism and nonconformism is quite simple. Both phenomena are based on social pressure. In the first case, a person bends under the weight of generally accepted norms, in the second, he resists and “revolts” against everyone. The phenomenon of nonconformism interests those who are ready to fight with society and defend their opinion.

The desire for constant analysis of events and information, the denial of rules and norms, and the creation of one’s own picture of the world is based on critical thinking. It can be developed, but for this you must clearly understand what nonconformism means.

You can follow his principles at certain periods of your life, or you can remain a nonconformist for life. This is similar to following certain truths in all circumstances. If you decide to argue that an orange is not orange but blue, you will have to constantly remember this. Simply put, it is easy to become a nonconformist when the impulse comes from the heart, if you will. You really have to believe in what you are broadcasting and standing for, and then everything will fall into place.

Psychological features of nonconformism

Despite the fact that the word “conformism” has a pronounced negative connotation, this phenomenon is completely justified from the point of view of the existence of society. For his own safety and well-being, a person must be part of society and adapt to its requirements, adapt to generally accepted norms and formal laws, whether he likes them or not.

But nevertheless, there are always dissenters, nonconformists who actively, and often demonstratively, resist the influence of society. Nonconformism is not just the defense of one’s rights and freedoms, but the desire to do the opposite, proving with all one’s behavior that the people around you are wrong, the laws are evil, the government is corrupt, traditions are stupid, and two and two are not always four. It is impossible to convince a nonconformist that he is wrong, since his main principle is: everything you say is wrong, false and absurd.

Sometimes his point of view is correct and even constructive, and he is the only one who is right among many who are wrong. It happens that society is so mired in conservatism that any denial of it is a good thing. But this does not happen from the nonconformist’s desire for truth, but as if on its own. The peculiarity of a nonconformist is that he never strives to create anything, he is aimed exclusively at destruction, at negation.

Such people seem to be the exact opposite of conformists, but they are not. They are united by their dependence on public opinion. Only the conformist unconditionally agrees with him, and the nonconformist also unconditionally rejects him.

Characteristic signs

Self-confidence and unshakable opinion are characteristic manifestations of non-conformism

Manifestations that describe the qualities of nonconformists include:

• high self-esteem, sometimes too high;
• resistance to the influence of external circumstances;
• rigidity, reluctance to succumb to anyone’s influence;
• self-confidence, which allows you to maintain your opinion and ignore the thoughts of others;
• demonstrative opposition of oneself to society;
• the desire to be unique, not like “everyone else”;
• an urgent need for self-affirmation.
• independence, independence;
• focus on your decisions;
• resourcefulness;
• own opinion;
• tendency to oppose oneself to certain groups;
• the need to occupy a dominant position.

Mostly nonconformists are strong individuals with a stable nervous system. This is a necessary condition, because opposition to society must be accompanied not only by stubbornness, but also by willpower. According to research, nonconformists have fairly high intelligence and are predisposed to creativity.

Nonconformist tendencies can be expressed with different strengths. In society, nonconformists are less common than conformists. For example, when considering a community of book lovers who will have a negative attitude towards the work of Daria Dontsova, there will definitely be one person who emotionally proves them wrong, claiming that the ironic detective stories of this writer are the best that there is in modern literature. Examples of nonconformism: in a class with poor performance, there is an excellent student, a lover of classics among rappers.

Levels of conformity

Conformity is subordination to a group. The following levels of subordination can be named:

1. Formal submission under specific conditions or at a specific point in time. As a rule, it does not last long.
2. Identification. A person considers himself part of a group, completely shares its rules, and group members expect certain behavior from each other.
3. Internalization. The individual’s value system completely coincides with the group’s value system; it does not depend in any way on external factors.

Conforming behavior does not just happen. To do this, two conditions must be met: conflict between a person and a group, psychological pressure from the group (insults, violence, shouting, etc.). It is worth noting that group pressure can be real or imagined.

See also: BEHAVIORISM - what is it. Advantages and disadvantages