rock or sand

A dance instructor once told me that there is something about our brain that causes us to imitate the other dancers around us. Whether or not the other dancers are doing the correct steps, we still have a natural tendency to do the same. I have experienced this in the simple act of going into the kitchen, finding something to eat, and then having my siblings come in and only want to eat exactly what I have –no matter what other food is available. We may have independent spirits, but we frequently copy the actions of those around us indisputably. I believe there are three major pieces that cause us to conform to the standards of our peers. The first is natural tendency. We absorb so much of the way our peers live, that we find ourselves following. But it goes deeper than just a natural tendency to imitate. The second is peer pressure which often says we must fit into a certain mold and do the acceptable and “cool” thing to do. If we decide to reject this attitude, then most often we ourselves are in great danger of being rejected. Fear of being rejected is evoked and propels us into the massive flow. Finally, the third cause for conforming is because we want something. Everyone has an objective even if they may not realize it. Often we just want to be loved, admired, respected, esteemed…by our peers.
Could it be that most of us are willing to sacrifice our own standards and beliefs to conform to those of our peers in order to avoid being rejected, or to get what we want?

As we conform to the standards of those of our peers, the effects are huge. The moment we sacrifice our standards and go with the flow, our own ideas get eroded and are replaced with the ideas of others. We all just become followers. We are influenced in areas ranging from clothes and music, to our attitudes, our language, and our relationships. We adapt, without much thought. But hella yes, it’s the way to go. Often, I have found myself doing things that I know I shouldn’t, but everyone else seems to have embraced the attitude that it is perfectly alright- a lot of them my friends and with similar ideas and beliefs as mine. For example, I am strongly convinced of the fact that actions have consequences. And yet, many of my peers ignore this fact most of the time. I am persuaded to go with the flow, and yet feel a keen sense of contradiction. My heart throbs with a desire to live for God, but the pressure to conform to an age of ignorance is wearing on me.

Giving into the pressure to conform to the standards of our peers is not bringing about good effects. In fact, it’s crippling. A person who is living in contradiction will break apart unless they make a stand. I would say it is time to stop being followers and start being leaders of our generation. It is time to step out of the flow for a moment to clear our minds of the rubbish that infiltrates our culture and make a bold stand for what we believe in. We should be more like solid rocks, and less like sand that just gets washed away. The solid rock in this case, may not fit in with the multitude of sand, but as it endures the perils of life, it will become polished and shining. It will stand for ages as beacon of true strength, faith, boldness.

k.e.h.