Conformity is just another step on the evolutionary ladder. It is a societal tool that enhances one's chances of survival. It is an enabler for cooperation in the clan. It has been with us since the early days of development on the savanna. We have been doing this kind of thinking so long that it has become like background radiation; it's there, but we don't notice it. Where we have gone wrong is in not keeping it in the background and have frequently carried it to extremes.

It is an essential tool in a society. Consider what would happen if each person on the assembly line used different tools, had different priorities, and did their jobs as they saw fit. Fortunately, we have a percentage of our population that makes it not to see when we go too far with our cooker cutter societal thoughts. The proverbial "A hundred marching men and Jules is the only one is step," situation. The man on the knoll with a violin. The creatives among us who are always there with a splash of color to attract our attention to our sameness.

One of the reasons I hope for an eventual takeover in the labor end of life in a modern society by AI and robotics is that we will be set free to be more creative with less pressure to conform to specific "norms" in certain areas. There will always be a need and a use for conformity to a degree, but we can lessen it in the future and that will enable us to move ahead more rapidly in all areas where it is a positive for creativity.