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Peer pressure and its effects
Peer pressure and its effects
Peer pressure and its effects
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In our lives there is only one person that we really need to learn how to be kind to, care for, rely on, be honest with, and just overall love and respect, and that person is our own self. Then with this knowledge we are capable of sharing all that we have learned with others and giving them the things we want in return. Yet if we never learn how to respect ourselves we end up not experiencing life to the fullest. When one does not know how to appreciate oneself they cannot truly be happy. They begin to get depressed and/or lead their own life to what, according to others, is the path they should take.
My experiences only prove the above. From the beginning of my sixth grade to about the time I started high school, I led a life that I had no control over. People can argue that no one can make you do something or act a certain way if you don't want to but when everyone around you acts a certain way and you have no one else to turn to, you really have no choice. Especially as a teenager it's not easy to stand up to your peers. All throughout my middle school years I wasn't...
Who holds the key of power in your life? Is there a person or group of people that you are allowing to dictate your life choices? The movie Mean Girls brings to life the everyday peer pressures teenagers deal with. Main character Cady Heron experiences peer pressure for the first time, from multiple classmates. Although it is said that a person can not be persuaded to do or say anything without their consent, is this really true? Cady deals with situations in which she is being pressured from two sides of the spectrum. In the end she realized what was happening to her, but the peer pressure she endured impacted the entire school.
Everyday, humans are faced with moral or logical decisions constantly alter the universe that surrounds them. One can assume that these decisions are fabricated based on one’s knowledge or previous experiences, and not influenced by outside factors. However, independence is merely a social construct, designed to induce the feeling of supremacy over one’s actions. Similar to animals, humans live in a society where each member must fulfil a role in the community, follow a pre-established social protocol, and follow the “herd”. Any individual who deviates from the protocol, or disagrees with the general consensus, is shunned by the community and branded as an outcast. It is this common practice that influences one’s decision making process, wondering
How do the actions and words of a society affect the way people act? In Never Let Me Go, author Kazuo Ishiguro depicts a society in which individuality is threatened by the pressure to conform through methods such as peer pressure and social expectations. Without a doubt, peer pressure is most commonly found in schools today just as social expectations are suffocating the middle class’ desire to become their own unique person.
Loss of Freedom in The Giver The Giver, a book written by Lois Lowry, questioned my ideas, thoughts and beliefs. The novel describes an ideal society, in which everything is supposed to be perfect, with all life’s problems solved. It is all about being happy with what the people have and not questioning their lifestyles because they did not know the difference between good and bad. The people are denied of their preferable way of life without their knowledge of how the real world is supposed to be. In the I can. However, the citizens of this society are not able to control their life; for example their choice of clothing, choice of loving and having feelings, or choice of family members. From all existing creatures, we humans differ because we are able to use our brain to make decisions. In the novel, the people of the given society have authority figures that show them how to live their life. “Katya, became a Nine and removed her hair ribbons and got her bicycle” (P The rules start with small things like what age one starts to ride a bike, which age group wears certain types of jackets, the clothing one wears each day, and even what to eat. In the real world, we humans make similar decisions for ourselves without thinking about it. People need guidance in their life to the right way of living but not a book of instructions. Many of us live each day dreaming of our future family and all the happiness we may get from that. I cannot imagine how it feels not to have freedom to feel and love. “Jonas, she said with a smile, the feeling you described as wanting? It was your the opposite sex. Beginning from early age, children are controlled not to feel or appreciate his/her opposite sex. The adults are made to take the pills to annihilate their sexual desires. When the children grow up and become adults, more decisions are made for them. When one is old enough to get married, the superior power chooses a mate for the person and is wedded. This is when I question the meaning of marriage. a future together, not a partnership that you deal with like a business. Although many cultures have different say in this sacred ceremony, most have similar ideas. To many people, love is affection based on admiration or common interests and warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion. How can one live happy in life without the experience of such feelings? These individuals in the novel did not know better, if they knew how good it is to feel love or even know a good taste when it is good, then they would not be happy with the way of life in their community. “J What if they were allowed to choose their own mate?
Goethe’s statement, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help then to become what they are capable of being” is commonly used in both a positive and negative form in today’s society. When a person looks the statement carefully over, they will find the meaning into what he is saying. From the Bible, the quote “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” is very similar to Goethe’s statement. If a person acts in a certain way toward somebody, then the environment and the people in which that person is surrounded by affects his attitude directly. When a person believes somebody has the capability to be more than they are, and the person pushes that person to succeed, the person will live up to those standards. By having another source other than yourself see what you are capable of doing, it lets people see themselves from a different perspective. There are many examples in modern day society of Goethe’s statement.
..., not only will we acknowledge the needs of others by redeeming ourselves from sensuality, but avoid being prideful by acknowledging how unessential material wealth is in our own lives. When we do this we will break out of the the “competitive rat-race without meaning”, or the “vicious circle” (Arrupe 10), by choosing God’s love and the love for others.
Our actions are based on our surroundings, we use what is around us to help us adapt and become better human beings. Another point of view on this issue might be that our choices can be influenced by people around us, although sometimes it may not best in our interest to become a follower. For example, we may go along with a decision of our follow classmates, helping us had guidance in our decision making process. Values and morals can not only guide but inspire and motivate us, giving us energy for doing something meaningful. Therefore I believe we must be honest with ourselves, recognizing the difference between right and wrong. Of course, there are some people who just cannot do the right thing, no one lives up to all their ideals, but I believe people are more honored to have some sense of morals and values that only make us look or feel good and just to things to make themselves look like they are a better person. In all honestly everyone is different and I would like to believe that kindness is passed down. Like the saying goes a smile is contiguous and sometimes that is all someone one needs to realize life is not all that bad. To leave off I would like to end this with Immanuel Kant, he
Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end (O’Neill,
For the last 18 years or so, we have been influenced and directed by parents, teachers, and other authority figures. We have been told when to get up, when to work, when to play, when to eat, sleep, come home, go out, etc., etc., etc. Now we are moving on. As we do, let me remind you of two principles we have been taught, the principle of freedom and the principle of success. As adults, a whole new world of personal freedom awaits us.
Many of us fail to recognize how socially controlled we really are. It is not because we are oblivious to
My family has always been a priority for me because they always taught me how important it is to respect others. I highly value respect for others as well as myself. Having respect for others is very important at all times in any given situation. Respecting others opinions, beliefs, and values show 's you are acknowledging their feelings and ensures the person they are as important as anyone else. Being able to give someone your respect can also grant you with respect in return. Being respectful can also have an effect on your personality. It can help determine how you interact around others. The quality of respect has components to help others relate if you are a rude person or a kind one. In the late 1800 's John Stuart mill and Jeremy Bentham established a theory of social justice. Utilitarianism theory consists of moral ethics. The action of doing right and treating others equally maximizes utility and brings happiness to most people. Having respect can bring many positive aspects such as happiness, being happy can bring happiness to others around you that is an essential to solving problems that reduces conflict with one another. Having a value that is such a priority in life does not mean that you have to go against what you believe in order to satisfy others. It just helps you on improving on how you see the world and why others might feel the way they do. Respect has taught me not to be selfish and only think
Self-love helps build the foundation of who we really are so if this foundation is not solid, life can feel shaky at times. When we truly start to love ourselves, things begin to fall into place for us and life itself begins to feel truly beautiful which is the way life was intended to be felt.
Each person needs to learn to respect, have integrity and be unique in their own way. One will learn that through struggle and a lot of effort to overcome different situations. I think that like me the world needs a balance where some need to be more than others, for example some people need to be kinder in contrast to cruelty to learn from each other to either be a better person or stay the same. This world needs people who are open to accept changes to change themselves and how they live, because for this world to be a more healthy and happy place we need to start changes within our own.
Many times in a teenager's life there are choices that have to be made. Many of the choices us teenagers make are influenced by peer pressure. Sure, I had obsession with many trends growing up, but later on in life I heard a quote that really aimed at my thoughts, the quote was "The shoe doesn't make the man, the man makes the shoe."
Loving yourself is the key to a happy life. When you love all that you are, unconditionally, life reflects that back to you. When you learn to love yourself, fully, you create a happy, loving environment to flourish in. When we lose sight of what’s most important—loving self—we lose sight of our goals and dreams and being happy and healthy. Ultimately, to live a fulfilling life, first and foremost, requires that you love all that you are and trust that life loves you in return.