Many people feel the powerful and constant need to fit in. We want to fit into society. We want to be thin and fit and pretty and we want to have all of the latest technology. So many people feel like if they do not have all of the newest gadgets, or if they aren't going to the gym, then they don't fit in.
Too many people feel the pressure to be like everyone else, and if they don't fit in then they think they aren't good enough. These people feel the intense need to wear the right clothes, speak the same as everyone else, play the right sports, be involved in the right activities, and have the latest iPhone.
Due to feeling this way, many people look, dress, and act the same so that they do not feel left out and fit in.
Why do we feel like we need to be like the people around us? Why do we have such a strong need to fit in? Why have so many of us lost the drive to be our own person? Perhaps it is because it is easier to follow along with what other people are doing rather than taking the time to figure out who you are.
Whatever the case is for why we all feel the need to follow other people and fit in, it is the driving force between why we do the things that we do.
Why do you shop at the grocery store of your choice? Is it location or because it is a popular location and everyone goes to it? Why do you wait in line for the newest iPhone? Is it because you need an upgrade or because it is shiny and new and you want it? If you're buying it because it is new then you fall under the large category of people that are also buying it for that same reason.
If you take a minute and look around you right now what do you see? Do you see a lot of people walking around and looking down at their iPhones? Do you see people walking around dressed similar? If you don't see it in front of you right now, did you see it in high school?
High schoolers feel the most pressure to fit in and do what is cool. When in high school, most students try to dress nice and look as good as their classmates. They also tend to pick up the same slang that their classmates use because it is what is necessary to fit in with classmates. The stigma of needing to fit in while in high school seems to be slowly disappearing, and that is a wonderful thing.
We need to stop trying to pressure others into fitting in and doing what everyone else is doing.
