Obedience
ObedienceThough conforming to group is the easiest option, standing up for what you believe shows you to be a person of character. If a person doesn't use their morals to make decisions, there is much more room for conflict. People that are easily suggestible probably have a harder time determining what the right thing to do is. When a person reaches a certain maturity level he/she is forced to start deciding what the right thing to do is. They are no longer able to get away with doing what a group they belong to wants.
A great example of someone who did not follow the group was Martin Luther. At a time when he could be thrown in jail for speaking bad against the catholic church, he stood up for what he believed. His goal was not to start a new religion but reform the one that was already there. By posting the "diet of worms" he told catholic officials where he thought the church had problems. Luther knew he could be severely punished but decided to take that risk to do what was right. He was not being pressured into doing this by anyone. He simply knew it was the right thing to do and knew he had to do it.
Because most people are members of more than one group, and sometimes those groups have conflicting interests, a person who is relying on a group to make a decision will have a very hard time. I find it the hardest to make a decision when I am being pushed in opposite directions by different groups. My parents think I should go to bed so I can wake up for school while my friends think I should hang out with them later. Everyone is faced with these kind of decisions every day. When you are a certain age your parents can't make you do anything and so you are forced to make your own decision. Many kids feel they must hang out late so they are not made fun of by their peers. They do not make decisions on facts but rather on feelings. Someone making their decision on facts would have factored in: when their earliest class is, how much homework they have, how much sleep they need to be a productive student, etc.
A person that is counting on a group to make decisions will have a harder time determining what the "right" thing to do is. Most children start out morally sound but ditch their morals when trying to gain acceptance with a certain crowd. Studies show that "peer pressure" is one of the biggest factors in whether a child will experiment with harmful substances or not. Though the kids know these substances are bad and may harm their bodies, they feel they must use them to gain acceptance. Because the...
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