Solomon syndrome or fear of standing out

To what extent do we decide something exclusively for ourselves or are we influenced by what others think? Like it or not, we are less free than we think, since we are conditioned more or less consciously for our environment. Human beings often live in a dilemma, on the one hand, they want to be different from others, but at the same time belong to the group. We are afraid of being rejected due to our individuality and triggered by envy.

Solomon syndrome is characterized by afraid to stand out. The person avoids being successful or excelling to continue belonging to the majority. This syndrome takes the name of the psychologist Solomon asch, who in 1951 did an important experiment in social psychology that sought to study how human behaviour this influenced by environment and pressure Social.

Solomon Asch's experiment

Solomon Asch recruited a total of 123 people to make an assumption ophthalmological study. He made several groups of eight people and showed them a succession of cards with three lines of different lengths. The participants had to say which was the longest line on each card. The first seven to reply they were in cahoots previously with Asch and they all chose the same option, although it was clearly incorrect. The eighth (the experimental subject), who did not know that the rest of the participants were in cahoots, was surprised to see that all in unison chose such a crazy option. Of the 18 times who repeated the experiment, only the 25% of the experimental subjects answered correctly every time. The 75% remaining confessed that he had been swayed by the answers of the others, even knowing for sure that it was not the correct one. Among the reasons that they alleged appeared the fear of ridicule. Solomon Asch concluded that "conformity is the process by which members of a social group change their thoughts, decisions and behaviors to fit with the opinion of the majority."

Tips to avoid Solomon syndrome

Although all people can be influenced by the majority or, there is a profile especially susceptible to experiencing the Solomon effect. They are usually people with low self-esteem or personal confidence issues, who need continued outside approval to function on a day-to-day basis.

• Value your own qualities and those of other people. Think about what part of the capabilities of others you can incorporate into yourself and train yourself to achieve it.
• Claim the difference. Tolerate and promote the diversity of ways of doing, instead of censoring it or feeling attacked.
• Do not hide your virtues, use them and take advantage of them where appropriate. All people can excel in something, we all have specific abilities and extraordinary capacities.
• Relativize opinions, good and bad. Use your own criteria.
• Power your sense of belonging to the group from your uniqueness. Strengthen cooperativity.
• . Defend yourself from respect effectively if you feel attacked.
• Show yourself, give your opinion. Don't fear mistakes, take them as ways of learning.
• Remember: A mistake is only a mistake if it is made twice. If one is committed, it is learning.

Procrustean syndrome: envy

At the opposite angle of Solomon syndrome we find the so-called Procrustean syndrome, which takes its name from Greek mythology. Procrustean was an innkeeper who, while the guests slept, cut off the body parts that protruded from the bed. Thus, the Procrustean syndrome defines people who don't allow others to stand out. They are affected by the fact that others are brighter or are right, and they strive to limit the capabilities of others and to delegitimize the other. Envy is your engine. The other side of the coin.

It could be said that the envy it is a social disease since it inhibits people from standing out for fear of being censored, thus paralyzing personal progress and evolution and, therefore, on a larger scale, also at the social level. Envy appears in the interaction. One compares with another person and he sees that he has things that he would like to have, that is, he highlights his own shortcomings. Seeing your own shortcomings creates a feeling of inferiority. That inferiority offends, and as the saying goes "the best defense is a good offense."

• Solomon syndrome is characterized by afraid to stand out. The person avoids being successful or excelling to continue belonging to the majority.
• People with low self-esteem or personal confidence issues, which need continued outside approval to function on a day-to-day basis.
• Do not hide your own virtues, but try to take advantage of them when appropriate; asserting your own criteria, not being afraid to give your opinion or make mistakes… these are some of the tools that can help us avoid it.

Specialist in Clinical Psychology