Conformity: Conformity Or Fact

Conformity or Fact

The human instinct to conform to society’s standards has heavily influenced the way humans interpret factual information. In a talk published by the American Scholar Margaret Drabble stated, “Our desire to conform is greater than our respect for objective facts.” This claim proves itself true as the desire to conform impacts decisions humans make regarding politics, religion, and habits. However, humans do not simply disrespect objective facts; the desire to conform has created controversy surrounding what is “factual” to the extent that one’s beliefs become factual in their eyes. The fluidity of what is considered fact or opinion in today’s society allows people to justify relying more on the opinions of others than on

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is a widely supported theory of how humans came into existence. However, it goes against many religious beliefs which has caused lots of controversy. According to the Pew Research Center, Darwin himself was hesitant to share his theory because he knew how offensive it could be to religious people. Since Darwin’s time, many people have adapted to his theory of evolution, although recently new controversies arose as many public schools across the United States were refusing to teach evolution in science classes. As reported by PBS, “22.4% [of teachers] spend at least one hour of instruction time—unconstitutionally—on non-scientific topics [creationism/IDC]” (PBS). This gives teenagers opinions in a place where they expect to receive facts. Due to insecurities and immaturity, teenagers feel the most pressure to conform in comparison to other age groups. Mixing fact and opinion in the science classroom sends a message to teens that they should value other opinions and beliefs as much as facts. This creates the perfect setup for another generation of humans so obsessed with the idea of “fitting-in” that they will completely disregard facts in order to do so. While it is important to respect all religions beliefs and ideas, it is also important to recognize that scientific facts and theories should not be

As mentioned previously, teenagers feel very compelled to conform to society’s standards. Recently, with the legalization of marijuana and increasingly easy access to all types of harmful drugs, teens have been taking up bad habits at younger ages in order to fit in with their peers. As stated by Webmd, “More than 3 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2015, up from 2.46 million in 2014”(Webmd). This increase in teen e-smokers has occurred despite an improvement in public school health education. Teens are simply ignoring the fact that the nicotine in their new toys can cause brain development issues and addiction. The teenage brain and its desire to conform make it very easy for teens to disregard objective facts. Transitioning from middle to high school, the role of the “the cool kid” switches from the kid with the right clothes to the kid with the most interesting flavor pod in their JUUL. The fear of not fitting in is greater than the fear of the dangers of exposing oneself to harmful chemicals; teenagers value social status more than safety and conformity more than truth. This essay is another prime example of Drabble’s statement; due to my upbringing and surroundings I have decided what I believe in. What I see as facts could easily mean something very different to other people. I have conformed to groups in different areas of my life and accepted their values as truths.