Psychology

Dissent means to differ, either in opinion or on sentiments especially from a majority. Altruism on the other hand, is an act of unselfish concern over the welfare of others. The objective of this paper is to analyze five situational factors involved when a person decides to choose conscience over conformity.

The first factor is time. Decisions to prefer conscience over conformity may be influenced by time right from childhood, through adolescence to adulthood.  For instance, a typical characteristic of an adolescent is lack of connection to other peoples feelings they are preoccupied with their own. Their actions and behavior are not based on what the society is thinking, rather, they are based on what they believe is good or bad (Hughes, 1999).

The second factor is the social setting, in which there are introverts and extroverts. In a social set up, the extrovert is likely to be outspoken, assertive, and active both physically and verbally. The introvert on the hand is soft-spoken, reserved, shy, and quiet (Heinstromm, 2003).

Third is the religious situational factor which is a highly volatile one as it touches on faith. Many people are of the opinion that faith should be a matter of personal choice (Lewis). Case in point is that of Father Milingo, the Zambian Catholic archbishop who diverted from the celibacy and got married (BBC News, 2009).

Fourth is the political factor.  This is based on political party ideologies. People tend to identify with parties on the basis of the parties stands on issues affecting them.

Finally, the moral factor revolves around what one perceives as moral or just (Lazear, 1996).  In the United States, there is the issue of culture wars, a debate of radicals, reactionaries, conservatives, and liberals.