When I was younger, I got into the wrong crowd. Let me be the first to say, it was not easy, but there was many times where peer-pressure almost got the best of me. I remember at the age of sixteen at school, coming from my best friend, he asked, "Hey, do you want to take a sip of Vodka? I have it in a bottle, so people will think it is water." I thought about it. Then I thought more. And finally I said, "No, we are at school, do you not think with your brain." And then the peer pressure came. "Come on, are you a pussy, everyone is doing it, blah blah blah." This is where I had to think- not just critically about the situation with the Vodka- but the situation with my friendship. Of course I said no, but then I also shot something else back at him. I used rhetoric in order to win my friend back over. I had to persuade him to go on my side, so I gave him a whole lecture on getting caught, ruining his reputation, and ruining his growth and internal organs, ect. After talking to him he finally saw why I wasn't drinking and said, "Oh, I never thought of it like that." I won him over at that point, but before hand he was thinking with something other than his head. I think everyone encounters situations where they really have to think critically and sometimes even at the risk of losing friends. But in my mind, I think a bottle of Vodka, drugs, or anything else, is not worth doing- especially when peer pressure comes into play.
Hi GreekGuy,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you said no in high school and that you won your friend over. I wish I'm able to speak my mind about some opinions, but I'm always scared they wont agree and just ostracize me. I've once watched my friend do something bad and I was didn't have the courage to speak out. I was always afraid of getting into the wrong crowd and hesitating on something they want me to do that I don't because I'm scared of being a loner. Finding new friends in the middle/end of the year are hard for me.
I'm kind of glad my parents let me have a super tiny sip of alcohol as a child because I hated it. My dad actually told me it was apple juice. After drinking that, I decided I hate alcohol so that helped me say no when I got older.
Bye,
rawrgles
Greek Guy,
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience just like you during high school. It was sophomore year and I was starting to hang out with the wrong crowd. All they would do is talk about getting drunk or high during the weekends. I just didn't want to say anything I regretted that would result into losing any friends. Well, there was this one weekend where they invited me to hang out with them. I already knew what was going to happen. I thought to myself, I will probably get peer pressured to smoke weed or even drink and I was one hundred percent correct. However, I stood up to them when they offered me to smoke and drink. I told them it was not the right time and place for me, especially when it was close to applying for colleges. I eventually left that group of friends and moved on to a more comfortable environment.
-Brian Robles
I'm glad that you were able to overcome peer pressure during high school and stayed on the right track to now be at San Jose State. It is good that you were able to identify the use of rhetoric to persuade your friend. I think that it is much harder in college to stay away from drugs and alcohol than it is in high school. Hopefully you are on the right track now. I kind of have a similar story like rawrgles. My parents let me drink wine and stuff at family events so when I got to college I didn’t feel the need to get drunk in college.
ReplyDeleteHey there Greek Guy,
ReplyDeleteI think you made the right call. Peer pressure is really a major thing when it comes to time that you have to make decisions, and many people started to take drug or smoke because of peer pressure. Also in your case your friend arranged everything for you including putting the Vodka in an empty bottle, so it does not look like Vodka to anyone else. Sounds good except for drinking under age is illegal in the state. Glad that you made the right decision and you mind were crystal clear to make it and persuade your friend to with different reasons not to drink. I am just curious, did he listen to you at last and did not drink that vodka or he finished it?
Talk to you soon!
Adrian
I am glad that you were able to say no and didn't give in to peer-pressure. It's really hard to maintain friendships, even bad ones, but it’s a good thing you knew right from wrong. Thinking critically in a situation like this was in your favor. I know everyone drinks, but drinking in a school is probably the worst idea ever. Every action has a consequence and if you would have said yes, this small decision might have turned into a serious situation in the eyes of a school. My friend gave in to peer pressure and now she finds herself at Alcoholic Anonymous every Wednesday.
ReplyDelete