Conformity suggests showing behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards. People tend to conform to the “norm” so that they don’t feel ostracized by said “norm”. I watch conformity happen in the most unique way on a daily basis, I see it happening as a means to either fit in, to impress someone, or as a survival method.                   People naturally want to be accepted by others. It is when someone feels that they are not being accepted that they seek approval of a leader with in the group. They will mimic their actions, body language, the way they talk, and even their quirks. I have one student who is my worse behaved student, but people gravitate to him because he is “funny”. My last two new students who came in was on the outside looking in and seeking approval. They eventually started acting just like the older student. They started mimicking his actions, his voice to some extent, the way he says somethings, and even his rude, racist behaviors.                   Dissension from a group, causes people to be shunned, to feel looked down upon, to be on the outside. No one wants to be on the outside looking in (Ok almost no one). When you take a group of people and place them together and they all have a likeminded opinion, then one single person voices an opposite opinion they will revolt against this person. The revolt may not be physical but they will feel unwanted none the less.                   Conformity in the positive could be as simple as taking a group of people who are a positive influence and injecting someone with a negative mind in to this group. It is my opinion within time the negative one will begin to conform to the overall group, which is one form of positivity. In politics we can see a lot of conformity across party lines. Not all people of a certain party may agree on something that a leader of said party does, but the group will conform together for the good or the bad of the entire party.                   Negativity in conformity can be many things. In my example above dealing with my new students acting out as one of the trouble makers. Their reason to conform was to fit in, but they have fell in to a way of acting that is ultimately set them back and cause them issues long term within our program if they do not change.                     I am reminded of the Lord of the Flies when thinking of conformity to some extent. When piggy fell to his death and when Jack began to throw his spear at Ralph the others joined in. Had these others not followed Jack would their negative behaviors been there? Would they have had the power to attack a peer in such a way?