Ben Hall 1

Ben Hall
Deborah Warshaw
US Literature
12/11/13
Were All Dirty Conformists
The way I see it, most people in modern society have become conformists of some sort.
In reality, those who claim to be nonconformists are in fact conforming to the label of
nonconformity. This idea has been explored a lot in recent times, and it really makes a lot of
sense when you think about it. An example of this was explored in a paper talking about how
teens that get tattoos as a form of anti-conformity have become conformists due to the sheer
amount of people getting tattoos
3
. Another paper suggests that Americans are in fact less
individualistic than they are perceived to be
1
. And yet another acknowledges the fact that
American employees are more likely to follow the orders of their bosses, even if the order is
morally wrong to the employee
2
.
Back in the day, people got tattoos as a form of sticking it to the man. However, after
they have become much more prevalent in modern times, the question of their legitimacy as a
form of anti-conformity has been raising much more frequently
3
. Technically speaking, they are
more of a sign of conformity than anything nowadays. This is due to the sheer amount of people
who have decided to follow suit of others who have gotten inked. Tattoos are cool now, and
people want to increase their level of coolness and respect among peers by getting tattoos. This
can definitely be seen as a form of conformity; it is people following the general idea of what is
seen as cool by society.
Ben Hall 2

Americans as a whole hold a huge amount of pride in their supposed individuality. We
really arent that individual though
1
. In surveys conducted in the past, the majority of
Americans value the group over the individual. The Europeans are just one example of many
other places that value the individual more than the group. In another survey taken by nine other
countries, Americans were the least likely to say that they should follow their consciences. Yet
another survey shows that Americans would be the least likely ones to stand up against their own
nation (aka the group)
1
. And finally, in one last survey, the majority of Americans claimed that
they would follow any order given to them by their boss, regardless of their own personal morals
or potential consequences
2
. This data is above sufficient in claiming that Americans generally
arent individualistic.
While Americans generally do take a lot of pride in their supposed individualism, it is
questionable if this pride is justifiable. By definition, people who participate in tattoo culture are
conformists. The same goes for those individuals who blindly follow orders from their bosses or
superiors. And while this is all true, it is also true that we as a whole are one of the most unique
countries in the world. We are incredibly diverse, we accept all religions as long as they remain
nonviolent, were beginning to become more accepting of sexual and racial equality, and we
offer an unparalleled level of freedom to any one of our citizens. And even though the
stereotypical American is depicted as fat and lazy, this is untrue because there simply is no true
stereotypical American because we are so diverse. So, on the outside, were quite unique. But
inside, were all just dirty conformists.


Ben Hall 3

References
1. Fischer, Claude. "American individualism-really?."madeinamericathebook.wordpress.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec 2013.

2. Fischer, Claude. "Sweet land of... conformity?." boston.com. N.p., 6 Jun 2010. Web. 12 Dec
2013.

3. O'Neill, Brendan. "Tattoos were once a sign of rebellion now they are evidence of craven
conformity to cultural norms." The Telegraph. N.p., 9 Aug 2012. Web. 12 Dec 2013.