Conformist or demanding? Which is better?

Published: 11/07/2013 - Updated: 02/25/2016

Conformity is defined as the ability of a person to easily adapt to a situation. The "conformist" person today can be dismissed as comfortable, mediocre, or naive, however, a happy person is often confused with a conformist, as demanding people consider that there is no way to be happy with little.

Why do we want more money?

The person who is satisfied feels comfortable with what he or she has, is aware that perfection cannot be achieved and knows how to enjoy the moment. He/She conforms, does not spend and does not invest more than she or he has, since for him or her having more is not an absolute necessity.

The demanding or dissatisfied person knows about brands of quality, is never satisfied and always looking for more and better things.

On this basis, conformist people do not support consumerism and are not subject to the requirements imposed by system. They know how to be happy with what they have and therefore are often criticised by society.

Whilst demanding people are usually considered intelligent, astute, aware and never satisfied, they usually play the judge. Products and services available in the modern world usually seek to meet his or her approval but really, this is the result of the current system.

Conformist or happy?

It's hard to tell the difference, since the person that is never satisfied will never be happy with what he or she has, whilst the conformist enjoys and lives in the moment and does not care about the future. However, both extremes can be harmful.

Today, there are people who face their reality with optimism, although it is not the best ever, and often this can be confused with conformity, but is not necessarily so. A happy person can appreciate what he or she has, and this will prevent them from wanting more.

The enemy "comfort zone"

In complying with our pay, with our health, with our partner these factors can turn out to be enemies when it comes to excelling in life, i.e., it is normal that we all have problems sometimes, but doing nothing to prevent them or leaving them to grow can be very dangerous.

Some people consider that the comfort zone prevents us from even considering other possibilities and many times we can consider "this is what is right for me" or "why bother myself if I am comfortable now?", which can be understood as mediocrity, while for people who live that reality it can be their "it could be worse " or "I'm fine" attitude.

Upon reaching the comfort zone, it is likely that we will get stuck there, not seeking another reality and therefore we conform.

A bit of both

Viewed from this point of view, the conformist as the demanding type must learn from the other, since although it is advisable to be entrepreneurial and seek more in life, we must also learn to appreciate what we have in the present and enjoy it.

The Conformist, meanwhile , should consider that he or she can improve, not only in economic terms, but also as a person, in physical appearance, in health, in using different tools and learning new skills simply to live better.

Stopping is not so bad

We may be afraid to settle, since we often have the belief that by doing so, all is lost and by continuing to demand we will get further in life. However, from time to time it is good to stop and appreciate what we have: Taking a break is not so bad!

It is possible that a person who is demanding is full of goals, but these goals are often ephemeral and do not provide any real satisfaction when achieved. They are simply replaced by new goals.

It is advisable to reflect and identify our internal needs and not to be scared to rest, as resting is not about conforming, but learning to enjoy and certainly you can always have more. There's nothing wrong with knowing how to enjoy what is good and this, in itself, is an achievement.

About the author
  • Miriam Reyes

    Miriam Reyes is a professional expert in nutrition and dietetics. She has more than 12 years of experience in caring for patients with overweight and eating problems. She studied at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA), where she obtained a degree in nutrition. Linkedin profile.

6 Replies to “Conformist or demanding? Which is better?”
  • Claire says:

    We can find two types of people in the world, as the article explains, and maybe they are always criticizing the other and their way of living, but the point is to make the best of us and not harming any in the road, we need to find that balance that can make us have a nice and joyful life.

  • Xavier says:

    I have learned that you don’t have to go to ay extreme, and by that I mean that you need to learn from mistakes and avoid falling in those again, avoid being picky, and avoid being conformist too, just like the previous person said, find yourself in the balance of the world and enjoy the life in a nice way

  • Lara says:

    the mistake of believing that happiness is inside the money is something that has affected the human since, I think, all the times. We always wanted more, and that was the mistake of the many civilizations that lived once. So it is time to learn from the mistakes, and see that there is nothing else veyond our imagination, that can create anything

    • Helen says:

      Yeah, you are telling something very real, many people just rely their happiness in the money and then they end up feeling very bad with themselves and the rest of the world, this mistake has to be corrected as soon as possible before your mind starts to believe that this is the only path to the true wellbeing

  • Stacy says:

    I’m pretty sure that if you take time out of each and every day to reflect on the true values and purpose of your life, you’ll never fall into doubt about whether or not you’re “picky” or “conformist”. You just are. And if you’re grounded in that understanding, there’s no “err” or hesitation about how to conduct your daily life.

  • Emily says:

    I can see where you are trying to go with this article, but it is pretty weak with no solid foundation. From what I can gather, it is an attempt to explain the century-long battle of man (and woman) to find a balance between being content with what you have and constantly seeking more – whether that be money, love, adventure, travel, etc. There is nothing wrong with settling within your means, but it is also healthy to dream and aspire to something greater in order to give yourself motivation in daily life 🙂