The newspapers from my hometown reported that while on duty, he had carjacked someone at gunpoint. This activity got back to his supervisor, who ordered him to come see him in his office at once. But instead of going back to the office, my classmate shot himself to death.
I thought that he obviously felt embarrassed about what he had done but could not understand why he would not see his boss, even though it would likely mean losing his job. What would cause him to take his own life, which was surely more important?
I wondered if he ever had faced a difficult situation or whether he had ever done something unpopular or even said anything that the majority did not agree with. I could easily recall others I knew in high school facing dilemmas. But not him. He always seemed to be with the "in" crowd. His lack of experience with looking or feeling different may have contributed to his suicide.
This is the kind of action that gets attorneys disbarred! And yet twenty-three of his twenty-four students gave this advice! People face pressure to win and the pressure intensifies when an authority figure (like a client) pushes for a certain result that contradicts established ethical standards.
I went to hear Oliver Stone speak recently. He talked about problems journalists face when they ask questions about the assassination of John Kennedy. Those who ask, according to Stone, typically find that their sources "dry up" quickly and they have nowhere to go for information.
People make decisions, sometimes good and sometimes not so good. Typically, a person must decide between two choices, each of which represents a different value. Those who value popularity spend less time evaluating the substance of the decisions they make and lose sight of what their values are. Those who go against the grain do so at their own peril.
Why do some conform and others do not?
Conformity probably begins at an early age. It is difficult for many of us to be alone for too long. We need friends, companions and others to be around us. As a child moves up through the school ranks, they see that their opinions do matter in terms of landing friends.
A child might hear a question: "Do you like to play football?" and begin to understand that the question is really a way that the questioner divides those whom they know. Other questions can make it clear who is "cool" (i.e. friendly or likable) and who is not: "Do you party?" or "Did you study for that exam?"
By the time they become adults, those who answer too many of these questions with the minority find themselves on the "outs" of their community. And the questions get more tricky.
"What do you think of people who put up signs for same-sex marriage?" (or people "who support flag-burning" or people "who oppose the death penalty") or any other topic in an area in which the topic is not popular. We may say that questions like these are not appropriate at places such as the work site, but we also know that people ask them and we know that silence or "No comment" can and will be used against the person responding in such a manner.
Those who ask such questions communicate what they expect of others. Those who answer with the crowd likely gain more friends or acquaintances. But they may also lose their sense of who they are and what they believe.
How does the issue of conformity apply to our nation?
Many people are looking for someone or some group to validate their opinions. The Tea Party, for example, has become a symbol for those who say they are frustrated with our government. As I have noted before, the Tea Party focuses much of its "platform" against taxes and government spending. Many of those who claim to be with the Party also vent their anger against illegal immigration as well.
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