“The normal behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the individual. For example, one study found that when a chimpanzee learns an effective way to crack nuts open as a member of one group and then switches to a new group that uses a less effective strategy, it will avoid using the superior nut cracking method just to blend in with the rest of the chimps.” ~ James Clear “Atomic Habits”

Don’t underestimate the power of how we lower to the level of our society. It’s hard to stand out, and do things better. Part of success is realizing the forces that play on us. Societal force is a huge transparent force that our brains feel but we are often not aware of. This is also why peer pressure is such a strong force on young humans, everyone wants to belong. Belonging is a huge part of how we have evolved.

Do you want to blend in or do you want to be the one chimp who uses a tool that launches all of humanity into the future?

“A host of troubling studies now show that we pay a heavy social and even professional penalty when we act as aggressively as men do.” ~Katy Kay “The Confidence Code