What if?

Have you ever succumbed to peer pressure? I will admit that I have. We all want to belong in some way or form. Even people who state that they do not care what people think of them do care in the sense of not caring. Now, I wonder what our world would be like if these social barriers did not trap us.

This article is more of a thought process than an opinion because I want to explore the imagination, wondering, “what if?” What if we all abstained from following the trends and fads of our fellow classmates, family, friends, acquaintances and celebrities?
I believe that everyone has a lot to give to this world. Each person has a unique set of talents and personal style. But do we always show them? Peer pressure has been around for hundreds of years. A person will do many things to fit in with those around them.

We will change our styles, hair, clothing, opinions, attitude, music, hobbies, sports and interests based on the people around us. This is extremely prevalent in high school, but also occurs in college and throughout adult life.

If you observe the people around you, you may notice that friend groups usually have many likenesses; a group of people you see may be wearing similar styles of clothing or have the same hair. I have also noticed this while visiting other colleges, seeing that people dress alike and each college has a different style.

Now this is neither a bad or good thing, but what if we didn’t dress compared to those around us? What if we wore what we really wanted to? There have been many articles of my clothing sitting in my closet that I am too afraid to wear based on what people will think of them, which really is nonsense. I should wear them because I like them. I believe many people have the same problem, but they may pertain to a different subject.

I love Jazz music, however many people in my age group do not. Nevertheless, I refuse to let this love go. That is how everyone should be; if you love classical, country, pop, rap, screamo, rock or any other type of music, you should love it no matter what others think of it.

This goes for all other subjects that relate to peer pressure. Learn to be who you are, and like what you like. Imagine seeing a person walk down the street wearing a unique outfit and sporting bright blue hair. What would your first response be? Would you judge them on their appearance and choice of fashion? Or would you respect them for being true to themselves and proudly displaying their personal uniqueness to the world? Now not everyone needs to dye his or her hair to be unique. It may be really subtle changes in your life that make you unique.

What would our society and world be like if we all stopped listening to peer pressure and our need to fit in? I imagine it would be spectacular! New inventions would be made, fashions would be even more interesting than they are now, and who knows what else. We have nothing to be afraid of, so why don’t we act like ourselves and follow our own tune? To the individuals who already do, well done, and I appreciate your style. So be true to yourself and confident in who you are and see where life takes you!

Holland is a senior majoring in Apparel, Retain Merchandise and Design.