Torah in Ten: Lech Lecha
Social Conformity
In the 1950s, Solomon Asch, a young Jewish immigrant from Poland, conducted a series of psychological experiments to explore how strongly peer pressure influences the choices we make in our decisions and lifestyles. Known famously as the Asch Conformity Experiments, these studies revealed that nearly 75% of participants conformed to group opinions at least once, even when those opinions contradicted reality, illustrating a common willingness to disregard personal perception for group acceptance.
Peer pressure affects people across all demographics, ethnicities, and regions, influencing areas like work ethic, vacation choices, political views, and even the schools chosen for one's children. The impact of groupthink, coupled with mainstream media and influential figures in academia and politics, significantly shapes our values and opinions. As recent events painfully highlight, even highly intelligent individuals may accept distorted narratives—such as those surrounding Israel—and lose moral clarity despite clear evidence to the contrary.
Sources: www.chabad.org, www.sie.org, Kehot Chumash, Sefaria.org