How to Recognize Peer Pressure & Overcome It
Even for adults, peer pressure can be a sly b*tch
Social influence is one of those things we think we’ve left behind, along with our teenage dramas and school years. We’ve outgrown the days when someone else would tell us what to do, how to behave, whom to pick on, what is cool, and what is not.
But the misconception is big; peer pressure in our adult life is so subtle and sly that it slowly creeps into our lives completely unnoticed. It becomes passive (or unspoken) peer pressure, and sometimes, it’s even worse. It has more influence over our behavior; it changes us, our personality, desires, perceptions, and even our whole belief system. Without proper self-awareness and introspection, it’s challenging to unmask.
It doesn’t matter who we are; we always feel the need to belong. Friends, family, colleagues, social media, and many other external forces impact us. Passive peer pressure is highly underestimated and yet commonly used. It’s the most potent tool of advertisers and marketing experts. Families give their opinion about relationships, and colleagues set the rules in the office. If you think about it, every aspect of our life is somehow influenced.
This kind of control, however, isn’t always a bad thing. Positive peer pressure is the reason we’re social…
