by Darren L

Created on: December 27, 2006   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Understanding non-conformism

When we talk about non-conformism, we are not referring to anti-conformism. In which case, what we are discussing is not someone who consistently refuses or abstains from conformity.

Conformity is changing ones own beliefs, behaviours, gestures or clothing etc. to suit or match those of another person or group. Conformity is usually performed in attempt assume an identity and demonstrate the similarity between you and whomever you choose to imitate. This is done to create bonding and rapport. Thus anti-conformism is a movement where by a group of people activity choose to abstain from behaviours, language or clothes etc. that another group choose. Interestingly, this paradox is one where one must imitate the idea of never copying another individual. An anti-conformist can be driven by such beliefs that people who copy others are hiding from their own individuality, and so put great effort into both being "different" and disparaging the attempts of other to conform.

In contrast, non-conformism is not driven by strong belief that to be the same is in some way wrong. A non-conformist is someone merely inclined to behave in a certain way, and is not motivated to ensure that the way they behave is in line with the behaviours of others. Nor are they motivated to ensure they are not behaving in a similar way as others.

One might suggest that a non-conformist is merely someone with a low level of drive towards isopraxisms. Isopraxisms are natural phenomena that occur in many areas of life, and many species. In humans, there have been many isopraxisms observed, such as:

-When someone starts to clap in an audience, others start and soon more follow until the whole audience is clapping.
-In small social groups, when some person starts to laugh so do the others in the group.
-Mass rallies, violence, and hysteria
-Sudden widespread adoption of fashions and fads

So in conclusion, to understand non-conformism, we must first understand the motivations of conformism, and then we remove those motivations. Both conformism and anti-conformism are driven towards their respective ends, non-conformism however is simply not driven in any direction.

Ref: http://members.aol.com/nonverbal2/isoprax.htm

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