We've all heard it before: "I was born different."
"I'm not like all the other girls out there!"
"I do what I want!"
But do you? One social experiment conducted by Brain Games on National Geographic set out to test whether or not we're all unique snowflakes. Are humans pack animals, or do we think for ourselves?
Here's how it went down: Brain Games filled a waiting room for an eye doctor's office with actors who knew about the experiment. Then the lady in the purple enters, and she's not in on the experiment. She thinks she's just going for an eye exam. Imagine her surprise when all of the other folks in the waiting room start behaving oddly. Every time a beep sounds, everyone stands for no apparent reason.
On the third beep, the lady in purple makes a decision.
Social conformity is defined as a specific type of influence that results in a change of behavior or belief in order to fit in with a group. We see roughly 90 percent of kids in high school attempt to conform with some sort of social standard. Personally, I wore Birkenstock sandals with socks because all of my unstylish but cool friends were doing it. Still, I like to think that as an adult I possess the ability to think for myself. But do I? Would I stand at the beep?
Please SHARE this experiment in social conformity if you think more people need to think twice about following the pack!
