Peer Pressure is One Hell of a Drug
Drugs: not even once. That’s what we were all told once at school, right? Not to do drugs? Not even if your best friend tries to persuade you? To never bend over to doing the bad thing just because it’s the popular thing to do? To never give in to popular demand? To always be yourself? To always follow your intuition? To always listen to your conscience?
That’s what I’ve been taught, anyway. But, to tell you the truth, I think our society is made up of nothing but following peer pressure. After all, society functions when we function together, when we conform to a set of rules. But how much conformity do we have to do until things become repetitive? Doing the same thing over and over again can’t be good for the psyche, can it? I mean, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results- that’s the definition of insanity, isn’t it?
Yet, that’s what we do every time we succumb to peer pressure. I’ve done it, you’ve done, we’ve all done it at least once in our lives. I’m gonna say it right now- peer pressure is one hell of a drug.
Ironic, isn’t it? We’ve always been told to be an original and not do drugs, yet we’re always told to think about other people by other people. Strange, isn’t it? And yet, this is the drug that is the most addicting. Not heroin, not meth, not the internet, not even caffeine or nicotine. Nope, it’s peer pressure. And you know what? We’re all forced to take it because, as the infamous quote goes-
We live in a society.
And what a society we live in. You can call yourself an original and a contrarian all you want, but you’ve fallen for all sorts of peer pressure and propaganda. Take me for example. I’ve always considered myself somewhat of a natural contrarian, but even I’ve succumbed to peer pressure at least a few times. For example, I reluctantly took the Covid-19 booster shot (for the sake of my grandmother- I know, how pathetic of me). Now, you can hate me for my takes on lockdowns and masks, but I still stand by those stances. And, spoiler alert, I’m not too keen on the vaccines, and I’m especially against the mandates some countries and states are implementing (whether I should make a post about this is up to me).
“But Emily, I’ve never fallen for peer pressure or propaganda!” Shut up, yes you have. Don’t try telling me otherwise. I know what this is. You know this quote that’s been going around recently?
You are not immune to propaganda.
That’s true- it’s all true. You’ve probably fallen for some sort of propaganda in the past; you’re probably fallen for some sort of propaganda today. Television, internet, newspapers, posters- it’s all there. And it was all there in the past, too. Remember those Nazi posters we had to study in school?
“But Emily, there’s so much more information now than there was during those times. What are you trying to say?” What I’m trying to say is that humans are stupid. The humans back then were just as stupid as we are today. Even people who know this propaganda is stupid fall for it. And it’s all because of peer pressure- the most addicting and worst drug there is. Yet, we’re all pressured to take it… because we live in a society. And what a society it is…
