social conventions
Expected public behavior
Social conventions are the unwritten rules that govern everyday behavior in a society—how to greet people, when to shake hands, how close to stand, what to wear to a funeral.
They aren't laws, but violating them draws disapproval or awkwardness.
Tipping your server is a social convention, not a legal requirement.
Conventions vary widely across cultures and change over time.
- courtesyRespectful, considerate behavior
- nodBrief head tilt
- conformityAdherence to norms
- bowRespectful forward inclination
- smilePleased facial expression
decorum · customs · taboos · mores · euphemisms · unwritten · body language · peer pressure · breach · gestures · faux pas · reciprocity · queue · politeness · saying please · thank you note · turn-taking · dress codes
social conventionsinstinct
Innate behavioral tendency
natural law · biological imperatives · genetic predispositions · animal instincts · laws
social conventionsnonconformity
Rejection of prevailing norms
taboo-breaking · rebellion · transgression · iconoclasm · rule-breaking
social conventionsindividual autonomy
Power over own choices
personal freedom · self-determination · radical individualism · free will · spontaneity
social, society, convention, association, sociable, conventional, conventions, antisocial, socialize