Violating a Social Norm

I was brainstorming of all the possible things I could do to violate a social norm, but felt that by doing some of them, such as randomly standing up and doing twenty-five jumping jacks in the middle of class, I would severely put my reputation at stake. Social norms, or the unwritten laws of our society that tell us what behavior is acceptable and what is not, take some courage to break. My reluctance to do such tasks like jumping jacks in the middle of class goes to show just how powerful social norms are in guiding our behavior in society. In the end, I decided that for my violation of a social norm, I would cut in line. 

People waiting in line for the iPhone5

Standing in line, or waiting one’s turn, is a very common practice that people do almost everyday when there are only a certain number of people that can be helped or served at any given time. Waiting in line can be boring and sometimes even frustrating since the item or service that is wanted is in high demand. Unfairly gaining an advantage by cutting in line is disrespectful to other people who have been patiently waiting their turn and they are likely to get upset.

Upon violating this social norm at Au Bon Pain, I expected someone to react and get upset and tell me to wait my turn or go to the back of the line. However, no one said anything to me and I didn’t even notice any dirty looks. Perhaps no one noticed that I cut or didn’t feel like speaking up to tell me to get back in line. Either way, violating this social norm was a bit uncomfortable, but in the end worth it as I got my sandwich about 10 minutes earlier than I would have if I hadn’t cut.

A song that goes along with my theme of waiting:

What are you Waiting For by Sebastian Ingrosso