Examples Of Breaking Social Norms

Social norms are the customary rules that govern behavior in groups and societies, and if one chooses to violate these norms various things will happen. Some examples of social norms can be simple and some more complex but the simplest form can leave the most impact. To test the outcome of breaking social norms, I had to think of norms that would be easily broken and safe for me to conduct. As I thought these ten crossed my mind:
• Locking eyes with someone in a grocery aisle
• Have an animated conversation with yourself in public
• Wear your clothes backwards
• Ask strangers if you can cut in line. If they ask why, state you don’t feel like waiting in line.

• Face the back of the elevator while using it
• Sing loudly on a public bus, subway, or train
• Position yourself six inches from an acquaintance's nose during a conversation
• Stand on your chair in a restaurant and recite the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance
• Get into an elevator that is crowded with
When I entered the elevator that day, I faced the wall in the back and spoke to no one. Although, I couldn’t see I am certain that people that I was crazy. The next day as I ate lunch with a friend, we both stood up in our seats and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, with everyone looking. We were definitely nervous and a tad embarrassed but I was able to see the faces of all the customers and they were unsure of our behavior. Lastly, I was able to perform the last experiment that same day when I went back into an elevator. As I entered, I began to introduce myself to complete strangers and asking them for their name. The first person I asked was a little shaken by my friendliness, but the others were completely fond of my behavior and seemed to enjoy my bright attitude. Before I began my experiments, I became very nervous because I did not know how other people would