Conformity

By: Krystale Bradley

"Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." What Ralph Emerson is trying to say is don’t follow everyone but instead make your own decisions based on what you believe in. If you do this then you will live your own life and create your own path and leave a trail for people to see. Many people in this world just follow the path and let everyone control how they live their lives. They think it will be easier to just give in and go along with the world than put up with being excluded. This is known as conforming, changing your beliefs and values to get acceptance from others.

"Don't think you’re on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path." Just because it’s what everyone else is doing, doesn’t mean its right for you many people believe that their way of living is the right way to live. In reality everyone is looked down on by someone. Everyone is different in some way, shape or form. Some people get caught up in being liked by the so called "popular" or "pretty" crowd. They give up everything they have always believed in and let other people choose what they wear, say and do.

Is losing yourself really worth the perks of fitting in? If you are doing things that don't make you happy, then you’re not going to be happy with yourself. You can’t truly be happy if you aren’t even happy with yourself. People think they are helping themselves self by not getting ridiculed but in reality it’s hurting them. You are who you are and people that understand that are the people that need to be around.

In high school there is a lot of pressure to conform. If you walk into a high school, you will notice that there are many cliques of people. These groups are people who believe in and dress the same way. Young girls are very vulnerable and self-conscious in high school. They crave the desire to be wanted and liked by the so called "popular" crowd. Many girls, who aren’t in this crowd, will do anything to be accepted by them. For example girls will cut their hair, drink at parties or try to lose weight.

The girls and guys that are a part of these crowds are vicious and rude to the people they think don’t fit into their group. They will judge anyone on, appearance, music interest and etc. They believe that everyone should be like than or want to be. They aren’t the only people who do this. The other groups of people do this as well. The hardest thing in high school is discovering who you are and sticking to it.

                     

If everyone decides not to conform then isn’t that a sense of conforming. They are conforming not to conform. So technically whatever you choose to do is still conforming. What you have to decide now is if what you want to choose is worth it. Why conform to be who someone else wants you to be? The best choice is to conform not to conform. At least you are sticking up for your beliefs and values. Comprising yourself will satisfy other people but not everyone. No matter how many times you change there is still going to be someone who doesn’t like it. So, just be who you are happy being and try your best to get along with people who don’t share your values. 

"Those you stand for nothing will fall for anything". If you don’t stand up for who you are and what you believe in then you will fall for anything that someone tells you. That’s why the most important thing to do is not to conform to what someone tells you to do but to stand up for yourself. In the end you will be so much happier you did even if it means getting ridiculed.

As a society we need to understand that everyone is different and that not a bad thing. Think of how boring the world would be if everyone was exactly alike. You have to conform one way or another. The two choices are, conform not to conform or conform to everyone else standards. Which one will you choose?