The problem is that we humans are deep conformists. — Robert Greene

The problem is that we humans are deep conformists.

Author: Robert Greene

Insight: We like to think of ourselves as independent thinkers, but most of us are quietly shaped by what everyone around us is doing. We adopt the fashion, the opinions, the habits of our peer group almost without noticing. The real trap isn't that we're forced to conform—it's that conformity feels like freedom. We choose it. We genuinely believe we're being ourselves while we're actually following an invisible script written by our social environment. This matters because it explains why change feels so hard, and why brilliant ideas often go nowhere. That startup concept you have? You'll probably talk yourself out of it because nobody you know is doing it. That belief you're starting to question? You'll suppress it because it doesn't match your group's worldview. We're not being coerced; we're just doing what feels safe and normal, which is the most powerful conformity of all. The non-obvious part: knowing you're a conformist doesn't automatically free you from it. Self-awareness alone won't flip the switch. What actually works is deliberately surrounding yourself with people who think differently, exposing yourself to outlier ideas regularly, and accepting that authentic individuality often feels lonely at first. Conformity is comfortable because it's shared. Breaking it requires building new circles, not just new thoughts.

Source: Mastery, p. 36, 2012