Soapbox item of the day: Peer Pressure
I just had the epiphanous realisation that, although all people have a mind of their own, they can choose not to exercise it.
I'm perfectly serious. I had always just assumed that people who did what other people were doing just because other people were doing it actually didn't possess their own mind, but were actually borrowing someone elses. Or, more accurately, were networked into a master brain mainframe where their actions were controlled by one mind. (I read a lot of science fiction as a child.)
But I just had this sparkling epiphany. It's not so much a lack of individual mind and willpower, but rather a lack of exercise of said mind and willpower. Like with any muscle, if you don't use it, you lose it. Once someone starts on the slippery spiral of following other people like zombies, the condtion worsens unless someone or something external steps in to jolt them back to autonomy.
Like a diamond, the facets of this thought grow as I write. It all comes down to choice - choosing whether to accept the exertion of the influence, or to reject it. Even whether to temporarily reject it in order to further research the repercussions of one's actions.
Or whether it even has any benefit, whether it meets any of their personal goals, besides the kudos of the influencers. Speaking from experience, let me tell you: The ones who call the shots in the real world, once school is out for good, are rarely the ones who called the shots at school. It seems to me that they have no idea about the things that matter once you're outside of the little pond, and those without character just drown in the sea.
So what is it that conns people into believing that these people are worthy of devotion? Is it the instinctive need to be loved? While this is a legitimate need, and one that people strive to have filled, why do people so often seek love from subgroups that will tear them down and damage their chances of success and happiness in the real world? Why? WHY? Heading down a path of self destruction, and they can't even see it! Well, they could if they opened their eyes a little wider, and looked a little further.
And even where the subgroup isn't directly destructive, it can be stunting to personal growth when the demand is to fall into line with their policies. If you never leave the thought-space of your subgroup, you'll never know what's out there. You'll never grow character. And, unless you're a very beautiful famous person, in which case you don't need any of those things to be successful anyway, it will be as though you were never here at all.
Why do zombie followers distrust their own feelings, beliefs and preferences? If you don't like blue, then YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR BLUE, regardless of who tells you it's 'in' this season. It's your choice. If you like green, then wear green. You're the one who has to wear it, it's no one elses business (within reason. Respect for others is also appreciated. This post in no way defends or encourages the wearing of smutty or tasteless clothing that may offend the people that you flash on the street). You don't know who might see you as a leader and feel freed to wear the shunned colours that they love. Or to resist the pressure to start rotting their lungs away from the inside out. Etc. Etc.