Have you ever caught yourself saying "yes" to something — even when your gut is screaming "no"?
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how easy it is to go along — not because we believe it, but because it keeps the peace.
It reminded me of a song from the punk band NOFX. Here are the lyrics:
Breathe, ever so soft We wouldn't wanna break the eggs as we walk Never alone, cautious, afraid I hear the voice of reason on the P.A
- NOFX
You may or may not know the band NOFX. They were a punk rock group out of Los Angeles. In their 41 year career, they had a lot of great songs. However, this song comes to mind when I think about this week’s podcast episode.
NOFX’s Leave it Alone has this tension I’ve been thinking about — the push and pull between conformity and autonomy. It makes me ask the question: when do I speak up, and when do I just... leave it alone?
No, we’re not breaking down NOFX in our episode this week. But it’s easy to find parallels between punk rock music - notorious for challenging the norms - and what we talk about this week: issues of authority, conformity and obedience. In this episode, we unpack how authority shapes our critical thinking - and why we can be so quick to conform even when it’s against our morals or values. We discuss a few well known psychological studies (you might remember them from Psych 101), that help us to understand these topics, and share a listener story that got us thinking.
We’d love to hear from you :
Have you ever gone along with something just to avoid conflict or even if it felt wrong?
Or caught yourself shutting down your own voice because of authority?
Or looked back later and thought: "Why didn’t I say something?”
Chime in our chat or comment on the podcast. Let’s get the discussion started!
~ Ashley & Alex
This podcast is for informational and storytelling purposes only and does not constitute a therapeutic relationship or professional mental health advice.
If you are in crisis or need immediate support and are in the U.S., you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text 'HOME' to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. If you are outside the U.S., please seek out local crisis services.
If you are interested in coaching or counseling, please feel free to visit our practice, Gainesville Psychology Group
Keywords: authority; conformity; mental health; autonomy; emotion regulation; critical thinking
Share this post