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Human Desire to "fit in"
Just for the Sake of Belonging
Two common ways of handling a situation are either to do so according to
one¹s own personal needs and desires with no specific regard to other
people, or one can base a decision on how it will be viewed by others.
The vast majority of people fall on the side of being worried about what
others are saying and thinking. Both good and bad can come from living
this way, but it has seemed to remain constant throughout history. People
have a natural desire to belong, and to fit in with a certain group. No
matter what group an individual chooses, that individual almost always is
forced sacrifice a part of them self in order to seem more a part of
things. People in this world seem to need companionship and are often too
weak to stand alone. As a result, they stand together in what ever group
they are best suited to.
It is a point of interest to many of the people who have stopped to think
about this fact. The idea that people live according to how others will
perceive then has been established as the rule, not the exception. The
real question now lies in the reasons for this way of life. It was
hypothesized by C.S. Lewis that this desire to belong and to fit in is a
natural human characteristic. He believed that people have an instinctive
drive to belong, in the same sort of way species reproduce. It is possible
that his theory of instinctive necessity is accurate, and humans are as a
whole are week and scared when they are faced with solitude.
The old adage ³there is safety in numbers² is appropriate in this topic.
Often in this world terrible things happen because people group up and
commit unspeakable acts, then take shelter in the numbers of those
involved. The Annual Freaknik ³celebration² is the perfect example.
Thousands of individuals crowd the streets of Atlanta and pillage the city
for a weekend, all the while they show no respect for the laws or the
residents of the city. This can be directly related to the issue of people
doing things to be a part of the group. If these people were asked
individually why they did these terrible things, for the most part they
would respond by saying ³everyone else is doing it²². This could be
translated to ³I am just trying to be a part of things². In this
particular example those involved sacrifice any sense of morals or
upbringing that they might have had.
“Everybody is doing it”. This sentence has ruined thousands of lives. It
could could be the worst four word combination in the English language.
People have been convinced to begin drug use, drunk driving, cliff jumping,
and countless other unwise activities. The reason behind this is clear,
the human necessity to fit in and to seem cool is often to strong to
compete with. A person could have the world and all of its riches, but
with out someone to share it with, that person would be totally alone.
People need each other. This is a fact of the world, and it will never
change. This need is a natural desire that is found every where in every
person with very few exceptions. It is true that trouble can brew and
awful things can happen because of these groups, but the advantages
associated far out weigh the costs. These groups that people form between
themselves often serve as shelter for the lonely, for this reason it is
natural for people to go far out their way if necessary to belong a
particular crowd. As a result the opinion of others is crucial part of
life.
Word Count: 641
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