It has been shown through various studies that only roughly 30% of us are able to resist manipulation and mass conformity. Psychological experiments like Asch’s Conformity Experiment revealed how quickly people bend to group pressure, even when they know it’s wrong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRh5qy09nNw&t=1s The Milgram’s Obedience study showed most are willing to harm others if an authority figure gives the order. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBDkJ-Nc3Ig&t=1s The Smoke Filled Room study is another study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE5YwN4NW5o&t=3s More recently there was an extreme example found in the documentary called Derren Brown: The Push, which illustrated how easily someone can be coerced through social manipulation to murder someone. 

The statistics around how many tend to conform or resist was consistent through these experiments. 70% conform/30% resist. All of these underscore a chilling truth: herd mentality is a potent force, often driven by our deep need for belonging, which can override our discernment and moral compass, leading us to conform even when it enables harm or perpetuates dangerous narratives.

This dynamic mirrors real-world atrocities. The Nazi regime wielded “scientific authority” to justify genocide, while eugenics was once peddled as settled science to legitimize inhumane policies, such as the forced sterilization programs in the United States during the 1920s through the 1970s, where over 70,000 people—often the poor, disabled, people of color, and those deemed “morally unfit”—were sterilized in state institutions or through public health programs, frequently without informed consent or under coercion. When a dominant narrative—whether from governments, media, or the scientific establishment—takes root, those who question it are often vilified, ostracized, or worse.

The COVID-19 pandemic offered a stark modern example. Fear, social pressure, and authoritative messaging fueled widespread conformity. Respected scientists and doctors who raised valid concerns about prevailing policies or treatments were silenced, fired, or saw their businesses destroyed—echoing historical patterns of dissent suppression to preserve control. 

It’s important to keep this in mind during these tumultuous times: the herd frenzy during COVID led many to call for the unvaccinated to be denied medical care, to say they deserved death, or even to place them in concentration camps, showing how easily groupthink can turn into dehumanization and harm at the expense of others. As it turns out, those who were trying to speak up during COVID—often the 30% who resist conformity—were later proven right about many points, from the risks of blanket vaccine mandates to the importance of natural immunity to the suppression of alternative treatments and many more. Will we learn from this and correct our behavior before the next inevitable event?

So, what are the characteristics seen in those who comprise the  30% who resist conforming? In my online search, I found some of the following:  They are fiercely independent and are willing to face rejection for the sake of truth. They tend to be critical thinkers. They tend to trust their own judgment over the group’s, even under pressure, and are driven by a commitment to truth or justice rather than external rewards like social approval. They also have a higher tolerance for ambiguity, not needing the black-and-white certainty that conformity often provides, which allows them to question dominant narratives more readily. Additionally, non-conformists often exhibit a strong sense of empathy and a willingness to act on their moral convictions, even at personal cost.

 

But the cost is usually steep for them. As the saying goes, “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled,” and the 30% often find this to be true as they try to help others see what they’re seeing, only to face ostracization, gaslighting, and punishment for speaking up. Choosing dissent can mean losing friends, family, and community, being branded as dangerous or unhinged, and enduring isolation that wears on one’s mental and emotional health. The pressure to conform is relentless, and standing apart feels like battling an unyielding tide.

It’s crucial to note, however, that dissent does not mean vilifying others for holding different opinions or channeling frustration into verbal or physical violence, such as the recent destruction of Tesla cars and property and some of the intense rhetoric found on social media amid political tensions. True dissent, as embodied by the 30%, seeks to protect and inform through dialogue and understanding, not to harm or divide, reminding us that our shared humanity should guide our actions even in the most divisive times.

The price of conformity, however, extends beyond the personal toll on the 30%. When those who question current narratives are not only ignored but punished, we miss critical opportunities for growth and evolution as a society. By failing to engage in respectful dialogue, we risk perpetuating dangerous practices and policies, as history has shown time and again. Many deceptions have been kept from the public—deceptions that may soon be revealed—but this process becomes far more difficult when people hold staunchly to previous beliefs, unwilling to consider they might have been misled. This resistance to new perspectives not only stifles progress but also keeps us tethered to potentially harmful systems, all because we couldn’t listen to the voices that dared to speak up.

The non-conformist’ resistance is a crucial safeguard against power abuses and manipulation. And it’s not just governments or media we should scrutinize—the scientific community isn’t immune either. History brims with cases of science being twisted to serve vested interests: eugenics masquerading as legitimate research, or valid studies buried when they threaten profitable narratives. Science, like any human endeavor, can be corrupted.

The takeaway? Stay curious and keep questioning, especially when something bears the stamp of authority or scientific consensus. Truth thrives under scrutiny—anything that demands silence likely warrants more of it. And maybe, just maybe, it’s worth being a little curious about what that black sheep is doing…and saying….. as the flock races toward the cliff’s edge.