I know I already wrote about this topic in one of my articles, but as I went to a social gathering the other day, I realized a few things. I was drawn to how easily people do something out of social pressure even if they don’t want to. The people were drinking and getting pissed just because they wanted to get drunk and have a good time. When did that start, or how it is that they began to drink (even myself at the time)? When we start to do something to be socially accepted, we begin to do anything to be accepted, and that is social pressure, as simple as that. When I was partying every weekend and having a great time, I remember that until a certain point where everything was a blur, and I couldn’t recall some things of that night, that was when partying started to go downhill for me. We do these things, drink, party, have fun, and all the others for a temporary satisfaction to question our actions the next day and do the same the following weekend. When we start to do all of this, it gets gradually worse because the pressure begins to exceed our limits. We think that what we are doing is not enough since we have already done one thing. We feel pressured to do another and another until we reach a point where we have two options. We either keep on going and stay on that repetitive mindset that nothing is ever enough, or we stop and question if what we are doing is for ourselves or others.
Feeling social pressure is a normal thing in our society, but it can be for the better or for, the worse. Why? Well, if we consider social pressure to become the best version of ourselves, well then, that is perfectly fine. Still, if we believe it to be the ticking time bomb to our limit, it is just a matter of time we are in too deep, and the pressure is so much that we crash or explode, in this case. Having the choice to do either one of them is easy; one is more challenging than the other because it takes courage not to fit in and do what you think is right rather than following along with the social criteria and loophole. Don’t get me wrong; it took me several drunk nights and hungover mornings to realize that I wasn’t doing it for myself but to feel confident enough to fit in and enjoy the time I was having. However, after a significant party I had, I decided to stop drinking to enjoy the moment. I started to enjoy the moment itself and being present in the situation. When I went to the first party after I stopped drinking, many asked me why I wasn’t drinking, and I was constantly replying that I didn’t want to. Nonetheless, they kept insisting, and I kept denying it. By the end of the night, I realized that I could enjoy a party without a drink, and it even gives you a different perspective of people. It gives you a more accurate idea of how people are, and it even allows you to make clear decisions and choices throughout the night, which by the following day, you don’t regret the things you did as you might have gone through. As I mentioned in another article, my mom constantly tells me that it is better not to have regrets but lessons, but take as you wish.
Feeling pressured to do things that you do not want is an act of wanting to fit in, and do you like that? Do you want to act and do something that you don’t want to do just to be accepted? Do you enjoy doing things for others rather than for yourself? Why is it that we are in constant need of approval of the people we are surrounded by? And if that is the case, are they the right people for you?
I will leave you with this idea to ponder.
Z.
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