Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

Addiction #30 – Freedom from NORMALCY
“The great safeguard of society and of domestic life was that sane people did what their
neighbors did, so that if any lunatics were at large, one might know and avoid them.”
~ Mary Anne Evans
“Social pressures combine in insidious ways to make humane people act inhumanely.”
~ Pearson
Dozens of psychological & sociological studies have consistently confirmed that humans
will go to great lengths to fit in – to be seen as “normal” – to conform; either to
harmonize with the majority of those around us, or to obey the desires of those who are
“in charge”.
To feel more secure – especially when we feel physically threatened, we bond together in
groups that are like-minded or like-believing. To feel more mentally at ease – especially
when we are uncertain about a particular course of action, we look to see what “the
crowd” is doing in order to make decisions that are judged to “good” or – at the very least
“acceptable”. Essentially, we see other people as a source of strength and wisdom, and
we feel at ease when surrounded by those who resemble our own appearance or reflect
our own beliefs, fears and desires.
At our most primitive level of being, we humans are essentially herd animals. And this is
not “bad” per se. Indeed, without this inclination we probably would not have made it
this far as species. We have no fur, no fangs and no claws. We aren’t that mobile and we
don’t possess immense physical strength. And yet we could bond together into tribes –
which then became cultures – which then became countries; groups of humans who have
agreed to support and protect one another.
As such, conformity did serve its purpose in our species’ childhood, and was even useful
in our adolescence. The problem today is that we no longer need to conform. Indeed, the
very gravitation to normalcy that ensured our survival many thousands of years ago is
beginning to destroy us today … What was once a survival mechanism that gave us life,
has now become an addiction that is the harbinger of our doom.
“If you are an approval addict, your behavior is as easy to control as that of any other
junkie. All a manipulator need do is twofold: Give you what you crave, and then threaten
to take it away. Every drug dealer in the world plays this game.” ~ Harriet Braiker
“But this doesn’t relate to me”, you might be thinking. “I’m living a life that doesn’t bow
down to anyone.” Maybe so – only you know for sure. And yet I will say that when I – a
“radical” Peace Pilgrim — had the humility to take a calm & non-judgmental look at my
own behaviors, I was stunned to find a subconscious drive towards conformity lurking
there. And I bet if you have the courage to take a similar peek, you might be surprised as
well …
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