Tipping Experiment

907 Words4 Pages
The social boundaries that lie beneath our noses are practically invisible and unscathed. Much like we learned in class, people continuously take things for granted and don’t think much of societal norms and boundaries. In conjunction with this idea, the power of conformity permeates throughout our daily lives, as we keep fulfilling this unspoken role of what is and isn’t normal. The social experiment that caught my attention the most was the tipping experiment, as tipping someone is usually associated with the idea that they performed an act that was beneficial or satisfying to you. A monetary value being applied to kindness is unspoken of, unless applied in a restaurant or parking setting. Therefore it’s intriguing to see how the world is…show more content…
When someone held a door for me on the way to lecture, I decided to GAUGE the relationship on how a stranger would react to a tip for showing an act of kindness. I tipped him, and in doing so, he reacted more irritated than awkward. He refused the coin and said that “I shouldn’t tip someone for being friendly.” This turn of events, when put aside to my friends interactions, establishes the idea that these unspoken rules are so strictly enforced and maintained. This everyday interaction also supports the idea how people constantly attempt to “normalize” situations when the norms are violated and disrupted. Moreover, when trying to tip my other friends, Sierra, Ashley, and Jess; they too responded with more confusion and attempted to combat the disrupted flow of the conversation. Specifically, Ashley and Jess both decided to eat in the dining commons with me, thus offering a normal act of friendship. More lightheartedly than the stranger, they refused the quarter and felt bad because they both thought that “one shouldn’t be paying to be a friend”. The elicited emotion from tipping in this normal situation brought upon confusion, proving that a majority of people act similarly when going about in their daily routines. Overall, the unspoken and unwritten norms that are deeply embedded into society are intriguing to see because little to no one realizes the immense power it
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