smallricochet comments on Asch's Conformity Experiment - Less Wrong
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I don't claim to have much knowledge in this, which gives me free reign to say this little example: Four girls, A B C and D, were talking about Girl E, all negative. Girl A finally says, "Girl E is my friend, I don't see a problem with her." All four girls stopped talking about Girl E, suddenly uncomfortable. (This was not because they were afraid of offending Girl A, but because they truly didn't have anything against Girl E in the first place.) But there was immense pressure for Girl A just to conform and keep gossiping, this uncannily similar to the groupthink example (which was on a bigger, more consequential scale).
I always thought it was social-rational instinct, a mix between pre-conceived morals, personality, and consideration for the future. Nothing experiments can so specifically pin down, but sort of obvious nonetheless?
Well, think of it this way. If everyone was so confident in themselves and dissented whenever their view didn't conform with someone else's, where would humans be? (Of course, this either led to monarchies, dictatorships, and finally, democracy. What's the fine line between wanting things to be done, and wanting things to be done with everyone's opinion? Variety is good, you need both.)
I hope that was all on track and relevant.