Why Conformity?
Greetings, fellow Conformist, from the current epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in the US, Seattle. I hope you are well in whatever of the corner of the world you live.
I'm Drake Starling, Director of the Bureau of Conformity, and you're receiving this email because you...well, I'm not sure what drew you to Conformity, but you've made the right decision to be here. If you don't want to be told what to think, or feel overwhelmed by reading solutions to our world's biggest challenges, by all means unsubscribe at any time.
Why Conformity?
This raises the question you, too, may be asking - why Conformity?
In the United States, we pride ourselves on being independent thinkers. Conformity is a dirty concept, symbolic of thought oppression, Conformist an accusation to be leveled at our opposition. No one who doesn't think what we think could possibly be thinking for themselves. Yet this freethinker mentality doesn't reflect reality. And there is relief to be found in accepting that we are not as unique as we imagine ourselves to be, and do not act as individually as we believe we do - and joy in finding and working towards a common cause.
We are all Conformists, but only some of us admit it
These photos were taken by street photographer Hans Eijkelboom in the same location, on the same day, in a two hour window. Even as we try to express our individuality through our clothing, we reveal our sameness. Rather than our uniqueness, what we are asserting is which subculture we identify with.
Humans are strongly conditioned to follow social norms, to fit in with society. Conforming with certain social expectations and cultural practices is needed to make our daily lives run smoothly. Sometimes social norms are helpful in enforcing good behavior, while sometimes they are harmful by holding back positive change. Shifting social norms has made our society better by getting more people to buckle up when they ride in a car and to not take up smoking.
Modern US politics demands Conformity
Conformity is a necessity for the current American political system, if you want "your side" to win control.
Under the Electoral College, there is a benefit to limit the candidate pool as early as possible so that votes are distributed between fewer candidates. A large candidate pool led to Donald Trump becoming the Republican candidate in 2016. The Democrats were also facing the same issue until earlier this week. Early Conformity is needed.
And now, when our political system offers only two major parties, we must conform to the candidate selected by our political party, because votes for alternate candidates are treated as "spoilers" that draw votes away from the major party candidates who actually have a chance of winning. (Other voting and political systems, such as instant-runoff voting or multi-party systems, offer more representative outcomes.)
Once members are elected to the Senate or House, they are expected to hold the party line. Compromise and dialogue are not seen as worthwhile. Changing your mind about something paints you as wishy-washy. Thoughtfulness is not valued. Conformity is obligatory.
Choosing to Conform around change can empower us
When we band together for the change we want, our collective power is greater than what we can accomplish individually. Coalescing around a specific set of goals, compromising to get some of the things that we want by working with others who also want some of the same things, concentrates our energy and allows us to have greater numbers of people working for change.
The Bureau of Conformity brings Conformists together to tackle the big problems facing our society. By uniting behind common causes, we can reshape our world to be more prosperous for all. Thank you for standing behind the Bureau's mission.
Stickers in the wild
Show us your Bureau stickers in the world - whether on your laptop or a bathroom stall! Tag us on Instagram so we can see where our stickers land. (Please be considerate if you put stickers in a public place.) Registered Conformists may earn a point for sharing their sticker shots.
Here are a couple stickers that I have placed in the world.
Yours in Conformity,
Drake Starling
Director, Bureau of Conformity
P.S. What did you make for your Conformist assignment during February? I drew daily comics for a week. Please share your creations on Instagram with the hashtag #ConformistCreation and tag the Bureau.