as long as they conform

antarchi's picture

People do not want - or often are not able - to perceive that they are conforming to external authority. They feel themselves to be very free - and indeed they are - as long as they conform. But power lies elsewhere.
It's not a mechanical phenomenon, but it's overwhelmingly true that the people who make it to decision-making positions (that is, what they think of as decision-making positions) are those who conform to the basic framework of the people who fundamentally own and run the society.