I'm currently reading Iconoclast by Gregory Berns. I made the choice to read this book by happenstance in that I saw it on display at a library and thought I remembered something about it from a program at BookTV on C-SPAN.
Although I'm only about halfway through, one idea that sticks out is Berns's view about the pressure we feel to conform to the wishes of the group: "for most people the will to stand alone for one's opinion does not come easily. (p. 87)
What is striking about this idea is that it brought to mind a March 15, 2009 report at Science Daily concerning a research study that indicates that children as young as 3 and 4 years feel the need to conform to the wishes of the group. I now wonder whether the need to conform is innate? Moreover, can we encourage children to risk being different and standing up for their ideas without creating more pressure on them?
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