2
Truth vs Circumstances
There are many times in life that we say I know exactly what I would do or say. I
have experienced this with soldiers in the military discussing how they are going to react
in combat, or in day-to-day life how someone would never lie. A great biblical example
was Peter; Peter stated he would never deny Jesus, this was after Christ told him that it
was going to happen. Then in Luke 22:54-62 just as Jesus said Peter did. So why do we
do this, say one thing but do another. This is a reaction to Compliance and Conformity.
What is Compliance and Conformity
Compliance is defined as6changing one’s behaviors due to an explicit (verbal or
nonverbal) request from a non-authority figure. Conformity is defined as changes in due
to unspoken group pressure. So, for someone to be compliant they are requested to do so,
where conforming is pressure to change. Another term in compliance and conformity
category is obedience, which is changing behavior due to someone with authority telling
you to change.
When and why does this happen?
Throughout life we find ourselves in situations that we may or may not have
trained for, at these times we have a preconceived idea how we are going to react. This is
human behavior and can be changed due to the situation and the surrounding parties
involved. According to George (2023) “Social researchers believe it is driven largely by a
desire to feel connected and liked by others. Our need to belong is a strong motivator, and
this can cause us to do things that we may not want to do just so we can be accepted by
those around us.” Solomon Asch also conducted a study on conformity where he
3
explained the differences between informal conformity and normative conformity.
According to Asch informal conformity is when you are convinced to change your
answer or behavior due to strength in numbers. Normative conformity is changing what
you believe the answer is due to fear of disapproval from a group. Peter was a victim of
normative conformity with this definition.
Execution of doing what you say!
There are tons of examples of people doing what they feel is right in life and there
are also examples of people following the crowd. It is my opinion the way to know how
you are going to react to a situation is training and muscle memory, however that is the
Army talking. If you follow your heart and always do what is right even when no one is
watching, then you should not have an issue doing what you say you are going to do.
References
