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July 14, 2025 10:50 am at 10:50 am #2424648none2.0Participant
Since we live in sometimes such cookie cutter areas and people look down their nose at others I felt the need to write this: “Conformity is negative because it often leads to groupthink, suppresses individuality, and encourages the adoption of biased or behaviors that may be harmful without critical evaluation.
When individuals conform to group norms, they may abandon their own judgments and critical thinking, resulting in a lack of creativity and innovation.
This can also lead to prejudice, as people may favor certain individuals or ideas that align with the group’s views, creating an environment where diversity and open-mindedness are discouraged.
Furthermore, conformity can foster a sense of superiority or judgment toward those who do not fit in, making people more likely to criticize or exclude others who deviate from the group’s expectations.Groupthink: Conformity can lead to groupthink, where the desire for harmony and consensus overrides critical evaluation of alternatives, resulting in poor decision-making.
Suppression of individuality: Conformity often requires individuals to suppress their unique thoughts and opinions, which can lead to a loss of personal identity and self-expression”July 14, 2025 1:14 pm at 1:14 pm #2424897ujmParticipantConformity is a blessing and a necessity. Every member of every Jewish community absolutely should strive to conform to community standards, on all levels, to the greatest extent possible.
Blessed is he who conforms.
July 15, 2025 1:05 pm at 1:05 pm #2425216Always_Ask_QuestionsParticipant+1
R Twersky writes that modern Jewish education became, unfortunately, standardized so that non-conformal thinking is suppressed.
R Kirsteinbaum (sp?)/Waterbury writes that “we are losing our Resh Lakishim” because of that.Some other Rav writes how Jews were sent to Golus to collect good middos from all nations. He has a lot to say about all those nations, but for America he has – “ability to do everything at scale”. So, it works for Mcdonalds and Google, so the scale in America works for large yeshivos … Most of us are so assimilated (whether we wear coloured kippot or shtreimels) – that we do not even notice that this conformity is not our mesorah.
July 15, 2025 1:05 pm at 1:05 pm #2425223SQUARE_ROOTParticipantWhat could possibly go wrong in a community
where everyone is absolutely required to:
dress exactly the same, speak exactly the same,
learn exactly the same, pray exactly the same,
think exactly the same, date exactly the same, etc, etc?There is no way that some people might try to
go off-the-derech, because they feel that
they have no individuality and no freedom!Especially when the smallest deviations from
100% conformity are punished with: ostracism,
accusations, humiliation, and exclusion –
that is definitely never a problem.July 16, 2025 12:43 pm at 12:43 pm #2425604none2.0ParticipantEveryone has different wants and needs. You cannot take an entire society and force them to be the same actually Conformity sometimes in some scenarios leads to horrid behaviour. It’s not about the value of the person but how much he fits into your mold or the mold you believe he should fit into. It’s ok to disagree with people but it’s not ok to dehumanize them because they aren’t like you. Sorry Conformity sounds nice on paper but imagine I told you we all have to have the same hair color. Ridiculous. Oh also our wallets arent the same too
July 16, 2025 12:43 pm at 12:43 pm #2425606none2.0ParticipantUjm judging from all your other posts…..not to be rude. I don’t see critical thinking and clear evaluation of reality properly …so as much as I value your opinion….I’m not surprised you said this. Now I agree humans do have similar “needs” like for example a need for food. For shelter. For _accpetance_ for love. But we also have different tastes and even different faces and fingerprints. We are not the same. We are not meant to be the same. We may naturally by nature get inspiration from each other and start dressing alike because we value what others do or get ideas from others. But when it comes from societal pressure dunno…sometimes it leads to dehumanizing others and sometimes cruelty. A person value doesn’t just come from how they perform but also who they are
July 16, 2025 12:45 pm at 12:45 pm #2425894none2.0Participant“Conformity can have negative effects when it leads to the suppression of individuality, creativity, and critical thinking. It can result in groupthink, where individuals prioritize group harmony over questioning decisions, leading to poor outcomes.
Additionally, conformity can cause individuals to conform to harmful practices, such as poor working conditions, due to fear of rejection or punishment.
This can also lead to a lack of diversity and innovation in workplaces, as employees may be less likely to challenge the status quo or share unique perspectives.Suppression of Individuality: Conformity can lead to the suppression of individuality and creativity, as individuals may feel pressured to align with group norms rather than express their unique thoughts and ideas.”
Conformity is just cliquey behaviour. Except in adults and it leads people to have a very infantile viewpoint not based on experience but based on groupthink. There’s a lot of examples.in the comments section. The amount of knowledge without wisdom and life experience can create a lot of delusional group think.
Also one more thing:
“Conformity and obedience to authority can lead to the dehumanization of individuals or groups who are perceived as different or outside the in-group, as discussed in various psychological and sociological contexts. This process often involves categorizing out-groups as less human, which can result in reduced empathy and increased justification for harmful actions against them.
Dehumanization can manifest in both subtle and blatant forms, ranging from implicit biases to explicit denial of humanity, and is often linked to increased prejudice, discrimination, and even violence.Conformity and Dehumanization: Conformity and obedience to authority figures can create a slippery slope toward dehumanization, where individuals or groups are seen as less than human, making them unworthy of moral consideration”
This is why groups of people need to learn morality, and common sense. These ideals ground a person in reality and help us maintain our true selves so we can treat others as we treat ourselves.
July 16, 2025 12:51 pm at 12:51 pm #2425967Uncle BenParticipantSquare_root; You mean like everyone dressing in the same knitted kippah and casual clothing? You mean like everyone speaking the same way and saying Shabbat even though they are Ashkenazim? You mean like everyone learning from the same דתי-לאומי seforim and Rabbis? You mean like everyone praying the same nusach and not raising their voice above a whisper when praying? You mean like everyone thinking the same Mizrachi hashkafa? You mean like the same mingling of the genders in schools and at shul entrances and kiddushos? I hear what you’re saying about conformity.
July 16, 2025 1:06 pm at 1:06 pm #2426090SQUARE_ROOTParticipantAlways_Ask_Questions said:
Some other Rav writes how Jews were sent to
Golus to collect good middos from all nations.
__________________________________________If I remember correctly, that might have been
Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen Rabinowitz of Lublin.July 16, 2025 2:41 pm at 2:41 pm #2426111anonymous JewParticipantUncle Ben
You’re missing the point. There is no penalty for deviating from the issues you cited -
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