Both individuality and conformity play a major role in society. Regardless, individuals will need to choose appropriately between conforming and acting individualistically about their circumstances. Individuality allows individuals to express themselves freely while conformity provides security under the protection of other conformists. Both of these aspects are beneficial to many people and are key to maintaining societal order; However, it is disastrous to have too much on either side of the spectrum. Therefore, there should be a balance between individuality and conformity, because having too much on one side or the other harms the components of society morally and physically, such that it pushes and forces individuals to performing tasks against their will, and causes individuals to think selfishly and only care about themselves. Having too much conformity leads to harmful repercussions on both the individual causing the problem and the innocent bystanders. Faced with an overwhelming degree of conformity, peer and societal pressures tend to force individuals to perform tasks that go against what they believe and cause them to doubt their actions, even if they are moral. When conformity rules over individuality, it tends to be left out of the equation, with conformists "expecting" others to conform to their beliefs, "shooting an elephant", even if it means going against the will of the individual (Orwell). An individual's voice or identity is silenced and ignored. During the witch trials in The Crucible, the accused victims had no opportunity or means to prove their innocence. The options they were given to resolve the charge were torture or death. Most of those who were accused of being witches admitted to being so even though... middle of paper ...... they paid taxes because he felt it was unfair of him to pay for something he didn't want to take. Thoreau believed that citizens should have the right to choose when or not to comply based on their desires, and therefore when or not to pay the poll tax based on their political views. Many citizens who choose when and when not to conform and be individualistic naturally balance individuality and conformity in their lives. Overall, individuality and conformity play a major role in society and it is up to people to balance these two factors to maintain order. A society without a balance between these factors will only be disastrous to the extent that it leads individuals to think selfishly and groups to dictate to individuals. Maintaining the balance between individuality and conformity will be key to maintaining order in society.