When it comes to conformity, groups, tribes, or even nations, have always needed to find some areas where they could agree to “conform” to the same attitudes and actions. This enables the groups to function with a measure of coherence. But there should always be areas of society and life where people can safely be individuals. Unfortunately, over the past few centuries, this independence of the individual has slowly disappeared.
At one time, in Britain, there were people who were classed as “eccentrics” precisely because they didn’t conform to the rest of the group or society in the usual way. Yet, these eccentrics did conform enough for society to cope with their differences. Some people would have called it social tolerance, today, this is what is hoped to be achieved by political correctness. Unfortunately, this modern version doesn’t work as well as the ancient method. Eccentrics were important for others to recognise where conformity stopped and changed to become non-conformity or eccentricity.
Today, if we wish to be “eccentrics” we are considered to be mad, dangerous, a threat, and every measure possible is made to make us conform, not just in actions, but in thoughts too. Equal opportunities was the first attempt to bring about equality, and in turn conformity, and in principle it is a good one, but it has been contorted in many ways to alter the original objectives. Positive discrimination, may have seemed to be a good idea has turned out to be just as destructive as the old ways of dealing with people.
Some people have also become more sensitive to criticism. In the past, the words people used to say would “bounce off” and leave the “victim” strong enough emotionally to ignore the said insult and in the end often gain the respect of the perpetrator of the insult. Today, that rarely happens.
As for security, the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has announced measures for even more security, interfering with the ordinary citizen’s way of life, not just at airports, or even railways stations, but in shopping centres, and other congregation points. Not only are the people of the UK the most surveilled country in Europe, if not the world, they are also the most indoctrinated, experimented upon, taxed, given the worst services, with people in charge who are incompetent yet won’t resign from their jobs.
If I had to give a statement to the UK Prime Minister regarding the present situation of a UK citizen it would be, “Conform or die!”. Rather bold words admittedly, but it is the way things are going in this country.
The present version of UK society is no longer the country I was born into, and I can see how it has changed and developed in my life time, with the essence being to make us conform in actions, words and society, so that no matter what our origins we all think and act the same. This is not good for nations, groups, or societies. They bring about a stagnant society, which has had so many restrictions placed upon the individual that imagination disappears leaving desolation and boredome.
Whilst conformity has it place in gaining coherence to a group of people, too much conformity brings stagnation and destruction. Again a case of too much or too little is bad for us. Moderation in all things, including conformity is the only way forward.
