Serious food for thought

[wombat_socho]

I noticed that haikujaguar had friended me, and decided to return the favor. This paid off immediately, because of this post*, which (to grossly oversimplify) discusses how hard it is to be positive in thought and behavior when other people around you aren't. This ties in with a couple of things that I've noted previously regarding the effects of music on one's emotions and general mindset, the admonition to Catholics to be in the world but not of it, and (taken to extremes) Cobb's notion of Sherwood Forest.

Peer pressure is real, it often functions at subconscious levels, and it can really mess you up regardless of whether you're 14 or 64. You have to be very strong intellectually and spiritually to resist it. If you missed out on having parents who would school you on the importance of being yourself and having higher authorities to answer to than your fellow mortals, it's even harder to defeat or even mitigate its effects. You have to be yourself in this world, but sometimes it's hard to figure out who you really are if you don't get away from the omnipresent roar of the crowd now and again.

*You should go read this post, BTW. RTWT.

Comments

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Yep, you got that in one.

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It was a pretty powerful post and impressed me a lot.

[(Anonymous)]

that basic hardwireing was and is the only thing that keept me from going off the deep end.
=c=

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

You and me both, my brother.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked the post... though I'm surprised how many people seem surprised by it. There have been adages about this kind of thing for as long as there's been more than one human being together to make a society, you know? The company you keep and all that...

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I chalk it up to the "let it all hang out" ethos of the Sixties, with a healthy helping of parents being reluctant to discipline their children and people not wanting to be "judgmental"...at least not to other peoples' faces. There has been a serious erosion of politeness and manners in the name of "honesty" and "expressing your feelings", and I think it's been a net loss to society. So your post struck a powerful chord with me...and sadly, it doesn't surprise me that a lot of folks on LJ were surprised. :(