The article, “The Sociology of Leopard Man,” by Logan Feys, discusses the world’s most tattooed man, who chose to cover himself in leopard spots and live in solitude whenever possible. Feys discusses whether Leopard Man was an attention seeking conformist, or if his rash decision was based on what he truly wanted, and not for the spotlight, or approval of others. He concludes, “To be a human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes, talents, values, and aspirations that are distinct from those of others. Living in society we are under constant pressure to surrender our individuality to the will of the majority.” I strongly agree with this statement, because social experiments and studies provide ample evidence for his claim.
Feys’ understanding of conformity is backed up by social experiments that demonstrate instances of people changing their perception to fit in with their peers. One example is the Asch Experiment, first conducted in 1951, which gives participants the simple task of assessing four vertical lines printed on a card, and identifying the two lines that are of equal length. Only one participant at a time is actually tested, and the others are actors who are given instructions on what to say. The participant is purposely set up to be one of the last people to answer, so that they hear the responses given by the actors before making their own decision.
At first, the actors give the correct response, but then begin to unanimously say the wrong answer, with the intention of seeing if the participant is influenced into giving the same wrong answer in order to remain in the majority, and therefore conform to the ideas of their peers. More often than not, the participant gives the incorrect answer to avoid conflicting with the majority. However in the situations where the participants are asked to provide their own response in writing rather than verbally, a much higher percentage give the correct answer, because they feel as though the confidentiality will prevent the others from judging them for their answers.
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People have a tendency to rely on others for thoughts or knowledge and generally prefer to seem as intelligent as possible. As such, they are willing to compromise on their individual beliefs, in order to fit in more and seem just as smart, if not smarter than those surrounding them. To go against the majority takes much more willpower and is overall more difficult, and most often, people will take the easy way out. By showing the tendency of people to respond according to the majority opinion, the Asch Experiment specifically reflects Feys’ idea that society makes us become less individual.
Conformity experiments show how this behavior can lead to outright evil. In the Stanford Prison Experiment 24 men are randomly assigned a role as either a guard or a prisoner, and placed in the basement of the psychology building, where they act out their assigned job. The experiment, intended to last two weeks, lasted only six days due to the extent of the conformity that occured. After three short days, the guards became excessively abusive towards the prisoners, to the point where prisoners would need to be released in order to protect them from the severe emotional and physical abuse. The participants in these types of experiments take to the stereotypes found in the media and society, acting in the way a fictional character in a popular Hollywood movie may handle the situation. They conform to what they believe to be the social norm through their actions and behavior. Human are instinctually hunters who fight to survive, and it is not long before the stressful situation causes the “guards” to revert back to those ways, demonstrating the true effects of conformity. Such a deep desire to fit in and meet standards can make one lose their human compassion and emotions. As Feys stated, it is the pressure of society that causes conformity.
There may be people who disagree with Feys’ claim, believing instead that many people are non conformists, and that it isn’t hard to be independent. There is, however, actual empirical evidence to prove otherwise. In the book, “Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently,” author Gregory Bern’s, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, reveals that his research shows the parts of the brain used for fear and anxiety are utilized when people feel that their own opinion is not among the majority. Scans that show a change in the brain areas associated with visual function also prove that the majority opinion has the power to literally change people’s idea and perceptions of what they see. Fear is a very strong emotion and whenever it is involved, it will take precedence over all other. A true non conformist will have to overcome this biological trait in order to be different, as even when people do not want to conform, it occurs naturally without conscious effort. People are wired to sacrifice their own views to seem normal and to avoid stand out, a natural occurrence that is easy to sway from.
With this evidence considered, Feys is justified in saying that people lose parts of themselves to gain the approval from the majority. There may be a few people who have been able to overcome this tendency, such as Leopard Man, however it is very difficult for most. Even to respond with the answer they know is right ended up being a challenge in the Asch Experiment. Though conformity may not always be dangerous, it may get to the point where society is so prone to following the majority that it can become harmful, such as in the Stanford Prison Experiment. This a major problem, considering that science has shown that conformity can cause people to revert back to evil primal instincts at any moment. Though the human race may never be able to banish conformity completely, it’s safe to say people must at least try to maintain their individuality.
