Idiosyncrasy credit[1] is a concept in social psychology that describes an individual’s capacity to acceptably deviate from group expectations. Idiosyncrasy credits are increased (earned) each time an individual conforms to a group’s expectations, and decreased (spent) each time an individual deviates from a group’s expectations. Edwin Hollander[2] originally defined idiosyncrasy credit as “an accumulation of positively disposed impressions residing in the perceptions of relevant others; it is… the degree to which an individual may deviate from the common expectancies of the group”.
(But the cited research in the Examples section seem weak, and social psychology isn’t the most reliable area of psychology in the first place.)
1. Don’t be an absolutist non-conformist. Conforming in small ways often gives you the opportunity to non-conform in big ways. Being deferential to your boss, for example, opens up a world of possibilities.
2. Don’t proselytize the conformists. Most of them will leave you alone if you leave them alone. Monitor your behavior: Are you trying to change them more often than they try to change you? Then stop. Saving time is much more helpful than making enemies.
3. In modern societies, most demands for conformity are based on empty threats. But not all. So pay close attention to societal sanctions for others’ deviant behavior. Let the impulsive non-conformists be your guinea pigs.
10. Social intelligence can be improved. For non-conformists, the marginal benefit of doing so is especially big.
12. When faced with demands for conformity, silently ask, “What will happen to me if I refuse?” Train yourself to ponder subtle and indirect repercussions, but learn to dismiss most such ponderings as paranoia. Modern societies are huge, anonymous, and forgetful.
13. Most workplaces are not democracies. This is very good news, because as a non-conformist you’ll probably never be popular. You can however make yourself invaluable to key superiors, who will in turn protect and promote you.
Some more discussion:
“You have a set amount of “weirdness points”. Spend them wisely.”
Idiosyncrasy credit
(But the cited research in the Examples section seem weak, and social psychology isn’t the most reliable area of psychology in the first place.)
Bryan Caplan, “A Non-Conformist’s Guide to Success in a Conformist World”: