Peers are the people belonging to the same societal group based on their age, grade or status. They are part of the same circle and influence each other in one way or the other. So basically, peers are nothing but the friends or people we choose in our life.
As humans, we tend to change but wherever we are in a moment, our greatest desire is to be recognised, respected and understood. We want to feel accepted and valued by the people around us and for that, sometimes we choose to do something we wouldn’t otherwise do. Here without realising, we compromise to fit in. Similarly, we also alter our behaviour according to others to be a part of their group.
We all want to feel like we belong, so we keep striving to be a man of value. The pressure generated here is nothing but peer pressure where we feel the stress or strain from friends and mates to act, behave, think and look in a certain way. But it is important to differentiate between being inspired and manipulated. There can be positive influences or negative ones of having peers while growing up. These can become the biggest factors in shaping our long-term choices. Our peer group may actually persuade us to bring about constructive changes in our personality. It is quite simple, peer pressure is not a forceful act but the power that is given to a person by us to determine our belief and perception.
Before getting influenced by any of the peers, it is essential to analyse and forethink of the results of our actions. A decision should be based on our core values and not on other people’s perception because, in the end, we are what we choose to be. We should always prioritize our thoughts and values; acknowledging other’s ideas is a good way of making them feel valued but we must not neglect our beliefs in this process. Moulding ourselves to please others will not only bring sorrow going ahead but also dissatisfaction from life.
It is said that we are the average of the people we live with. So choosing a friend is significant because they are an unsaid family. As I said before, peer pressure can be negative or positive, so a positive one can lead us to inculcate new hobbies, habits or attitudes that might assist us in becoming a better version. Whereas, unhealthy peer pressure can lead us into a very horrid situation and can also hamper our life ahead. Likewise, even we can directly or indirectly influence others, but whether in a good way or the bad one, it entirely depends upon us.
“People either inspire you or they drain you, choose wisely” – Hans F. Hasen
–God Bless You
Mr. Roni Abraham
Editor
