BLOG 5

Should I or shouldn't I? What will people think when they see me? What will they say?

Often times, we find ourselves asking these questions. If you could put a situation in front of these questions, it would be something drastic and important wouldn't it? That may occasionally be the case but for the every day high school student, it is usually about something simple. To explain, let's take a scenario that every body has been in at one point or another in their lives.

You are eating lunch in the cafeteria with your fellow third grade students. It's the first day of school and before you walked to the bus stop that morning, your mother reminded you to be nice to everyone. There is a kid, sitting at the far end of the lunch room, away from all the chatter and lunch trading and he seems sad and lonely. Suddenly, you have no idea what to do. You know that if you go and sit next to her, your friends will judge you for it. Maybe they'll think you are being a nice person but then again,maybe they will think you're just...weird. But if you go over there it would be the right thing to do and you'd feel better about the day, right? But there is so much at stake here! Nobody else seems to be fretting over her, why should I?

Non- conformity has many definitions. Some people define it as being different from every one else. It makes you your own person. Others say that there is no such thing. People who think they are non- conformists are actually conformists just by thinking they aren't. The truth is, there is no way to determine if non-conforming and conforming to others actions are right.

Look at it this way: two girls in your group of friends are shoplifting. The other five of your friends know it's wrong so you conform to their decision to walk to the register and pay for your items. This is a situation in which it is a good thing to conform. The third grade girl was in a situation in which non-conformity was obviously the right way to go.

The way I see it, the choice to conform all depends on the purpose. What will become of the situation is really what every one thinks about. Ultimately it is what feels right to you. If you feel better at the end of the day then you did the right thing.