Be Popular or Do What YOU Would Like to Do?

Okay…I have to ask this.  Just what is so wrong about you that you have to change your actions and/or your way of thinking in order to fit in with the crowd of people you WANT to hang out with?  Why aren’t you hanging out with the crowd that is made up of people just like you?  What is so important about the ‘in’ crowd, anyway?

Aaah, vanity…one of the seven deadly sins…and known by many names such as Popularity!

Popularity is something that is learned at a very young age and can be a very devastating goal to strive for since many times this ‘achievement’ involves a lot of backstabbing and lies. The type of Character Evolvement that goes hand in hand with obtaining a Popular Status is not one you would teach your children because it means to deny being true to who you are and what you believe in…your value system.   To become popular, one must ‘fit in’ and emmulate the actions and opinions of those you surround yourself with.  After all, the values and opinions of these other people are much more important than yours…at least this is what your actions say to others.

As a teenager,  being popular seems very  important for one’s self-esteem in school.  After all, it’s simply great to have almost every person in the hallways saying “hi” to you as though you were some kind of superstar while you travel between classes!   And how could you ever become Class President or Homecoming Queen unless you are loved by the masses?!   Oh wait…there’s a fly in the ointment!  You must be loved by the masses! 

Okay…this doesn’t sound too hard to do at first because you just have to act as though you like everyone.  Right?  But when you look below the surface, you’ll find that you CAN’T act as though you like everyone because some segments of the masses are FORBIDDEN to be loved or even liked by you!  Who forbids this?  Why, the crowd you are trying to impress, of course!!  If you are friends with anyone from the OUT crowd, you will find yourself on the outs, too! 

The same goes for a lot of job advancement opportunities that occur withen a company.  Now before you start jumping up and down while yelling that job advancement requires training,  further education, and deeper knowledge of a job or function, please understand that I KNOW THIS!  However, if two people have the same education level and the same job knowledge but one person ‘yesses’ the boss to death while the other person gives the boss an honest opinion whether it’s wanted or not,  guess who’s most likely to advance!  Let me give you a hint…honest opinions are not as well-liked as a “yes” answer.  Being liked by the boss is something that you definitely need to have on your side in order to advance in most companies!  So your opinions and values need to closely relate to if not mirror his/hers! If they don’t, you had better change them now!