When In Rome

How much do we influence each other's actions?

How much do we influence the actions of our friends?

How much do our friends influence our actions?

How much should we let our friends influence our actions?

I think that there are a large group of people in the world who are labeled as "followers," who don't consciously choose to constantly follow the decisions of others. They go through life, and a few noticeable choices happen to match those of people around them. Suddenly they are a "follower," or perhaps, "conformist." They don't have thoughts of their own. They don't have opinions of their own.

Or so we say.

I think that there are a large group of people in the world, who are labeled as "conformists" by their fellow humans, who in actuality just do what they want, regardless of whether or not other people do it. Or maybe they began certain practices because of other people, but continue them because it brings them joy.

On the flip side, there are also those people out there who are being controlled by the masses. They appear to be independent and free spirited. They appear to be original. But, they are more influenced by others than the first group.

And, of course, a lot of us would like to say we fall into the category of "somewhere in the middle," and rightly so. I think it's just sort of a commentary on how much labels can affect how we view people as much as it's a commentary on conformity.

There are varying degrees of conformity in every one's life. It's how we live. I eat cereal for breakfast (sometimes). Why? Because that's what people eat for breakfast. AND because I enjoy having cereal for breakfast. The original reason that I chose to eat cereal (aside from the fact that my parents probably fed it to me) for breakfast is that it's a common practice amongst Americans. However, the reason that I continue the practice is because I enjoy doing so.

Does that make me a conformist? Am I just a mindless follower in the realm of breakfast foods? Most people wouldn't argue that.

When I was in middle school, I shopped at American Eagle for jeans. It was a very popular store then. Everyone else was wearing American Eagle gear, so why shouldn't I? I went to the store and bought a pair of jeans. It was probably one of the best purchases I've ever made. For about three years, I would only wear American Eagle jeans. This is not because I was "brand conscious" by any means. They were just the best fitting, longest lasting jeans I had ever tried. Upon first glance, though, I was simply conforming to the standards set down by popular teens everywhere.

Does that make me a conformist? Do I just want to wear whatever fashion is the most popular at the time? (yes, go ahead and laugh. I know I'm far from "fashionable.")

My entire immediate family up to this point graduated from Grove City College. When I went searching for a college, I knew only one thing -- I wouldn't end up at Grove City. I just wasn't going to follow the family trend. I wasn't going to settle for what my family chose. I wasn't going to fit into that box.

The problem is this: after visiting a lot of other colleges, only Grove City felt right. Only Grove City had what I was looking for. Turns out there's a reason that my family all decided to go to Grove.

And that's when I realized that deciding not to do something just because other people do it, is just as wrong as deciding to do something just because other people do it.

I suppose the question then becomes: how wrong are those reasons?

I can't say that making a choice based on the fact that others before you made it is necessarily wrong. Perhaps you trust the opinions of your friends. Perhaps you know that you like similar music, so when your friend buys a CD, you immediately buy it too. You're not at fault.

I could go on with hundreds [exaggeration] of other examples, but I'll spare you the dry explanations. The point I'm making is that we need to reevaluate the basis of everyday claims and connotations that we simply accept as true without a second thought. And so it comes around again....you shouldn't simply accept thoughts that others hold true simply because they've always been thought.

Where can a teacher go?

Wherever she thinks people need the things she knows.

Hey, those books you gave us look good on the shelves at home,

And they’ll burn warm in the fireplace, Teacher, when in Rome

I love how inconclusive my thought process is. [Seriously. If my thought process were entirely conclusive, I would probably cease thinking.]