The Importance Of Tacit Codes

Submitted By Jssjogren
Words: 397
Pages: 2

As creatures of society, it is a primal desire of human beings to belong somewhere in the crazy world they live in. But, in order to belong somewhere, there are certain constraints we must fit into. These constraints, or prerequisites, the tacit codes spoken of by Professor Ignatieff, are what determine how we dress and act on a daily basis. In order to describe this particular occurrence, Ignatieff veraciously asserts that in order to belong to a certain cultural group, there are unwritten laws that must be adhered to. Because these laws are unwritten, those who seek to fit in must be observant of the world around them in order to determine where they fit in.

It was propounded by Mark Twain in his “Corn Pone Opinions” that adoption of social standards such as behavior or clothing are typical for those seeking the approval of their peers. These tacit codes are the building blocks for social cliques, and shape the identities of the humans that adopt them. In recent times tacit laws have set in with the idea that men and women must be skinny and heterosexual, and if people do not possess either one of those traits, they do not belong with “the cool kids.” It’s through situations similar to this, that an exclusion of those unaware of the social codes becomes evident. Conforming to society has, over the years, evolved into a tacit code that is often accepted as the easiest way to, as Ignatieff asserted, belong to the cultural groups around you.

In many unfortunate cases, a