You are very familiar with social norms–those unwritten rules of behavior that are considered acceptable in society. And since you probably want approval of the other people, you probably tend to comply with most of those unwritten rules of behavior.  And there are lots of them–more than you might think.

For instance, in Western society we tend to think it’s desirable to make direct eye contact with the person you’re speaking to, go to the back of a line instead of breaking in, and avoid standing too close to strangers, and refrain from picking your nose in public.

And many those social norms are typically beneficial for a society.

But some social constructs encourage relentless politeness which stifles human connection and delight. And when that happens, it just might be a good thing to break a few minor social norms.

Find out how and why in this episode.

NOTES:

Kerr, Natalie, PhD. “4 Social Norms You Should Break,” Psychology Today, May 15, 2017.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-influence/201705/4-social-norms-you-should-break

Lambert’s Café https://throwedrolls.com

Social Norm Examples. Your Dictionary. https://examples.yourdictionary.com/social-norm-examples.html

Stephens, Richard. Five Ways Bad Behaviour Can Benefit You and Others. The Conversation, January 28, 2021. https://theconversation.com/five-ways-bad-behaviour-can-benefit-you-and-others-154004