Conformity is normal rather than a psychological weakness

Evidence

Where modern social psychologists part company with Allport concerns his pathological view of conformity. Allport wrote about the conformist as weak, psychologically needy, deviant, or incomplete. Today, psychologists do not consider conformity unusual or deviant; instead, conformity is viewed as normal, acceptable, and essential to smooth functioning in society. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1929 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Where modern social psychologists part company with Allport concerns his pathological view of conformity. Allport wrote about the conformist as weak, psychologically needy, deviant, or incomplete. Today, psychologists do not consider conformity unusual or deviant; instead, conformity is viewed as normal, acceptable, and essential to smooth functioning in society. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1929 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

There are three important themes that emerge in this chapter. First, that conformity is normal, not an abnormal personality weakness. Like any other belief, attitude, and behavior, we learn how to feel about others and social groups from our family, our peers, and our culture. Having attitudes and beliefs that are very different from our friends is uncomfortable, and we are likely to change them to fit our friends, or change our friends to fit our beliefs. To desire to fit in is normal, natural, and leads to highly adaptive social behavior. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1936 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Psychoanalysis normalizes patients into a sick society rather than curing it — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the…, 674; Conformity prevails when false beliefs carry no personal costs to the believer — Cailin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall, The Misinformation Age: How False…, 306; Self-destructive romanticism is conformist, not transgressive — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk: The Collected and Unpublished…, 2336 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Conformity is now viewed as normal rather than pathological #corroborates (0.97) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1929
• Conformity is a normal, essential social function, not a personality weakness. #corroborates (0.97) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1929
• Conformity in attitudes is normal and adaptive, not a personality defect #corroborates (0.96) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1936
• Conformity benefits both individuals and societies and does not imply weakness #corroborates (0.92) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1899
• Conformity forms the core of most people’s prejudices #complicates (0.75) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1927