So as you may or may not know, depending on how well you know me, I currently work at a substance abuse treatment program where I teach classes. Put simply, I give drug addicts tools and ideas to help them overcome their addictions.
Anyway, today in class we got on the topic of Utah culture and how it's dominated by Mormons and the problems associated with that. I explained my theory as to why Utah culture is kind of messed up: homogeneity leading to hyper-religiosity. I think any time you have too much homogeneity, it leads to extremism. But then I started wondering why that is, and I'm not sure I came to a complete explanation, but I think part of it at least has to do with conformity.
I was thinking about how different groups and classes of people like to separate themselves from others. The classic example are the self-described "nonconformists," those that wear things noticeably different from the norm because they want to be noticed as being different from the norm. As many have correctly said, however, these so-called "nonconformists" in fact just conform to a different set of guidelines/principles/ideologies and in fact aren't really nonconformists at all. But they highlight something I think we all do: focus on what makes us different, unique. And by that, I mean we focus on what makes us along with our group of friends different, because what makes us different and unique makes us important; it gives meaning to our lives.
Thus, in the case of Mormons and Utah, what makes us different is not drinking coffee, not cursing, and a host of other rules and commandments and traditions that are less important for salvation but more important for our own personal security and identity. And I think often--especially in areas where there is more homogeneity--these less important rules and traditions become more important than the truly important commandments and laws, even when we don't mean them to be. Nor do I think Mormons are unique in doing this. I think similar phenomena can be seen in polygamist colonies, among Evangelical Christians, and among Muslim extremists in the Middle East.
So I think the question is: What can be done about it? And I hate to break it to you, but I don't have an answer to that. We can try fighting against those ideas and social norms that we don't agree with, but that can lead to serious problems. A Mormon can't very well drastically reject the social norms, because that would lead to breaking commandments. Yet if said Mormon then completely acquiesces to the social norms, then s/he just contributes to the problem.
So I think the answer has to lie somewhere in the middle, but for one that's incredibly difficult, and for two I'm not convinced that it actually does any good. As someone who's been trying for 25 years trying to stay in that middle ground, I can say that I feel totally lost the vast majority of the time. I don't really have any group of friends that I hang out with, nor have I ever had one. I have a few good friends here and there, but staying in the middle means not really conforming to anyone one group's standards, which means not conforming enough to be a true part of that group. Thus, you end up in a void with lots of acquaintances but few real friends.
Also, I don't know that my being in the middle (or at least attempt at) has done any good whatsoever. All I know is that I can't bring myself to do otherwise; I'm already too far down this path. So here's to hoping.
