THE SILENT FORCE THAT SHAPES LIVES (1)

Beyond the demographic segmentation of the Gen Z(s), i.e, the age grading, they are shaped by a culture of digital innovation, social justice, and personal expression. They gyrate with a school of thought and almost the same template of beliefs across all borders. It has become a way of life for a certain set of people. 

Above is a forerunner for the focus of this piece. It is the story of an unseen force that has shaped different nations, tribes, and people in humanity. Jokingly, this is why Nigerian politicians are known for corruption. This stands on the legs of two words: peer and pressure.

Peer pressure does not have legs and hands; it has shaped lives. It is as old as humanity. Satan had a measure of influence over the angels that fell with him. Eve influenced Adam, Jezebel influenced Adam, and Daniel influenced his friends.

My short stint at gambling was due to peer pressure. I loved playing street football as a teenager, and some of my overexposed peers campaign that we should “put money” so it will “be sweet”. However, I have to opt out after some time because of the do-or-die affairs that come with it. I can’t afford a broken leg. 

I was lucky, but many of my peers weren’t. Their future were truncated because they took gambling to a new level. Everything we used for fun was “monetised”, making them a dangerous venture. They grew into other vices, which led to the death of some, unwanted pregnancies, school dropouts, and different streams of unwanted depreciation. Playing back their memories is tragic.

                                                

This piece is a combination of throwback experiences and present realities. It is a gentle exposition of a silent force that shapes lives. It has shaped my life and given yours a pattern without permission. Peer pressure is a respecter of nobody; it is at work both in the young and old. It is a chameleon, changing its colour as the situation requires.

Beautifully, this doesn’t only affect us negatively as some assume; it leaves a good taste in the mouth when properly managed.

Peer Pressure is the influence people of similar age, status, or social group have on your thoughts, behaviors, and decisions. Nothwithstanding, you are the sole team lead overseeing the selection of the peers that will pressure you, and this might be your only shot at shaping your life. 

You can’t do life alone; you can’t grow up alone. You have to choose, and choose wisely. I believe adults have an advantage in doing this better than teenagers (below 18) because it is an assumption they already have a direction and values that guide their lives.

                                                

We are a podcast, video, teaching away from our lives getting shaped by our choices. There are arrays of events in my life that have been informed by the company I kept. While there are choices peer pressure has caused me to make, which have become a weapon to fight other kinds of unnecessary pressures.

I am not saying you are not the sole proprietor of your choice, but some choices inform it. The tiny suggestions from friends, widow’s mite advice from roommates, mustard seed tete-a-tete with your siblings, and crumb-like shared information will become a mountain where you will stand on to make life-altering decisions. 

 

Most forces that shape our lives are unseen, and peer pressure is one of them. 

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