A conformist is someone who follows the behaviors, beliefs, or expectations of the group they're part of, rather than thinking and acting independently. When everyone in your class starts wearing a certain style of sneakers and you buy the same ones just to fit in, that's conformist behavior.

Being a conformist isn't always bad. Following sensible rules, like waiting your turn in line or wearing your seatbelt, makes society work smoothly. Problems arise when people conform without thinking about whether something is right or wrong. History shows us that some of humanity's worst moments happened when people went along with unjust systems simply because “everyone else was doing it.”

The opposite of a conformist is a nonconformist or an individualist, someone who thinks for themselves and doesn't automatically follow the crowd. Scientists who challenged popular but incorrect theories, inventors who pursued ideas others thought impossible, and ordinary people who stood up against unfair treatment were all nonconformists who refused to simply go along.

Most of us are conformists in some areas and individualists in others. You might follow your school's dress code (conformist) while having unique hobbies nobody else shares (nonconformist).