# some more of life's little mysteries..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2002, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825 "2002-11-15T04:21:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@flood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flood)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/1 "2002-11-15T04:21:38Z")
Does anyone know what drives us to conform? Why do we do it? Is it instinct or something else keeps us from “thinking for ourselves and questioning authority”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/2 "2002-11-15T04:27:35Z")
Parents. ---
**Author:** ![Church\_Key\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Church\_Key\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Church_Key_Kid)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/3 "2002-11-15T05:03:49Z")
Perhaps conformity allows us to relate to the masses. Therefore, we meet and know and are around more people, which means we have more opportunities to meet people and procreate and further the human race. Just my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/4 "2002-11-15T05:04:16Z")
It’s true that parents want to control children. But they’re partly reacting to the kids’ inherent drives, including both a drive to conform to the local group and a drive to get as much attention as possible, no matter at whose expense. For most of history and prehistory we were only as safe as the strength, skill, and goodwill of the people around us. Probably, we still are. This creates a strong pressure to develop an attachment to our local group. Besides, an urge to conform while growing up is also what allows us to build on individual discoveries, creating a pool of information that is passed down socially. I’m all for creativity. But without an urge to conform, the fruits of creativity just dies with the individual. Not that I don’t occasionally have the urge to yell, ‘you’re sheep, do you know that, a bunch of baaing sheep!’ _shrug_ Checks and balances I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/5 "2002-11-15T08:53:27Z")
In many cases in nature, conformity is what keeps the organism safe and accepted by its peers (and therefore brings the potential for breeding). ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/6 "2002-11-15T13:46:09Z")
A society can only tolerate a little bit of non-conformity before it starts breaking up. Therefore, the societies that have survived through time value conformity. ---
**Author:** ![Stccrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Stccrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stccrd)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/7 "2002-11-15T13:50:16Z")
I don’t conform. I set my own standards, and then rise above them. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/8 "2002-11-15T14:15:05Z")
Anyone who doesn’t conform is just trying to be different like everbody else. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/9 "2002-11-15T14:23:47Z")
Those that conformed to society (i.e their tribes) had a higher chance of survival? Everybody conforms to some degree. Even those that rise up and become leaders and movers. The desire to fit in and be liked is hardwired. Those that are not accepted generally develop psychological problems because of it, and though they justify their actions as wanting to be “different”, all they want is to be liked and fit in somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/10 "2002-11-15T14:31:40Z")
Conformity frees us of the burden of having to think about our actions. Some would claim that it also relieves us of individual responsibility for the consequences of whatever the group ends up doing. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-more-of-lifes-little-mysteries/136825/11 "2002-11-15T19:10:15Z")
Let’s face it, we are herd animals by instinct. Why else do we derive satisfaction from helping others?