Conformity: A Means To An End

I good friend of mine conveyed a story to me about conformity.  He was waiting in a waiting area at some type of government office.  Because I can’t remember what type of office it was lets just say it was the DMV.  A mother walked in with her son trailing several steps behind her.  Her son was about 16 and had long punkish multi-colored hair.  He was dressed in all black.  You know the look.  A cross between goth, punk and the motorcycle gang members from the movie 48 hours.  He had numerous piercings and a lot of attitude.  As he walked into the room he sat down and said in a loud voice “this rooms reeks of conformity.”

My friend said he had to fight back the urge to laugh and say something to the boy.  My friend realized that the boy was actually a fraud and didn’t even know it.  He didn’t realize he was actually conforming and sadly conforming for no real purpose.  The boy was choosing to look the way he looks to be exactly like his friends or others that believe they are unique by dressing and acting the same.  They want to be different from everyone else but in doing so they are conforming to a very predictable image.  My buddy realized that, yes, he was conforming to norms and standards deemed “normal” by most but that his conformity helped him get a good job and make a good living so he could take care of his family.  I guess the point to this is that conformity exisits and it is not bad.  It is typically a means to an end.