~ human psychology often relies on a *pack* mentality when considering new and unfamiliar territory in all spheres of life. We will often remain undecided or too afraid to voice an opinion where no prior opinion has been made. Upon others voicing their opinion, or a discussion is erected, then we feel comfortable in speaking up. Fear of looking stupid in front of others and our intelligence being ridiculed, we wait for another person to make the first bold move. Uncertainty of our understanding on a subject similarly thwarts our efforts in speaking out in a quiet room. But there are those individuals whose curiosity and thirst for knowledge conquer their fears of appearing stupid, and like children, their questions will be heard first in the room and often lead the the discussion. Children are seldom deterred by the opinions of others, for fear has not engulfed their minds. Society has not had the opportunity to ravage their thinking and leave them in a state of fear regarding how they appear to others. Do we really care if we look less than smart? Do we really care if we prefer the minority compared to the majority? Must we wait for another individual to speak the thoughts we had too, but didnt verbalise through fear of being laughed at? Living by the confines of society and popular opinion dictated to us, will be reassuring and comfortable, and it will save us the embarrassment of appearing stupid and being laughed at. What it wont do however, is allow our individualism and thinking to progress. As we rely more on the opinion and leadership of others to shape and mould our thinking, the ability to think independently will lessen and reduce as we grow older and subsequently our reliance on popular opinion will increase. It is never comfortable when feeling like the odd one out, it is never pleasant having our opinion laughed at and it is lonely to walk the path that others avoid, but the alternative in my opinion is not a choice. If we want to live a life without regrets and exploring who we are in relation to the world, then overcoming our fear of what others think of us has to be challenged.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 08:42:27 +0000
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