I keep asking myself.
If we’re the most intelligent species on the planet, why do we conform so easily?
We see large numbers of people follow a mesmerizing leader, even when that leader is just plain unqualified, totally mistaken or just plain nuts. It happens in business and in life.
Then there’s the group that hangs onto some belief or behavior even when its validity is long gone. It’s happening right now in our political parties, religious factions, sports affiliations and more.
In business, this tendency to herd up is a key cause of business stasis…. the first step toward decline
Why Do We Conform?
Our brains are wired for conformity.
Our caveman brain (what some call the reptilian brain) holds our instinctual responses, the reactions that are intrinsic to humanity. This portion of our brain is designed to primarily assure our safety and survival. That’s the answer to the question of why do we conform, right there.
Our brains are wired to love conformity, love agreeing with the group. It’s also why our brains dislike behavior or beliefs that differ from others. Those two simple programs set us up to follow, follow, follow. You can’t be independent, an individual, an innovator or a leader when you’re following.
Why We’re Driven to the Herd
Here’s how this program drives we modern humans.
Being different triggers an error warning. When we sense a difference in our beliefs or opinions from the rest of the herd – our brain signals an error message, stimulating us to want to conform.
In a study at Basel University in Switzerland, subjects were asked to rank the attractiveness of faces as their brains were monitored via MRI. When a subjects’ opinion differed from others, neurons in their brain fired a chemical that’s a small dose of the same chemical we get in a fight or flight response. That chemical stimulated them to learn and adapt their behavior – aka their opinion – to conform with the others in the study. The majority of participants did, indeed, change their opinion to match others. When they conformed, centers in their brains rewarded them with a different chemical that positively reinforced their conformity.
Conforming triggers a pleasure response. When we conform with the herd – for example when our beliefs match those of a supposed expert or gooroo – our brains send out a signal that rewards our behaviors with a pleasure stimulus.
In a study at the University College of London, researchers monitored subjects as they gave their opinions about a variety of pop songs. When the subjects’ rankings of pop music matched those of experts – reward/pleasure centers of the brain were triggered. We get a dose of bliss chemical and then…. we follow our bliss.
Those two instinctual responses play a major part in determining human behavior. And we never know it’s happening….
Still, I can’t help but wonder, why do we conform behind people who are just plain evil…. That tells us all how easily our mind’s design can be manipulated and used to control us.
