Peer pressure in simple terms refers to the pressure that peers can have on each other. It is something that not only exists at middle and high schools but also lingers on for a much longer period than that. It is one of the common factors to influence important decisions like Choice of Business Schools for your management course or Choice of your latest car model.
Peer pressure can have both positive and negative impacts on making concluding decisions around many crucial phases of life. Sometimes it may contradict your options and challenge you to deal with the unfavorable and unwanted. Given below are a few techniques to tackle this inevitable factor:
1. Understand your own worth: Instead of disliking or giving up something simply because a parent or a friend wants you too; there is a need for knowing your own values and understanding your worth. There is a need for balancing the new and what you already know about. There should be a clear perspective about what you want to achieve and what you like to help yourself.
2. Listen to yourself: Peer pressure may help you discover unexplored territories and help you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. But it is not alright to succumb to peer pressure every time you are on the verge of taking important decisions in life. Sometimes, you may need to get away from situations that make you feel too uncomfortable. Listen to your gut-feeling in such situations and do what is appropriate according to you.
3. Be Confident: No matter how much you are ready to listen to others and accept norms set by them; no matter how influential your peer group is- the final decision-maker should be none other than you. It is simpler said than done; but you need to be confident and stand up for what you believe to be right. It may be your educational concerns, it may be a simple deal about cricket match or it may be a lifetime decision connected to your career goals. In spite of the pressure you experience from others, you have to be a brave-heart to seal the deal all by yourself in the end.
4. Build a good network: Although you may have a group of wise and experienced individuals in the form of friends, relatives and mentors; you constantly need to keep expanding your network. It is a good habit to expose yourself to new sets of friends and well-wishers to see new form of beliefs, ideas, thought- process and inspiration.
Take responsibility for yourself and focus on doing what is best for you! There are many healthy ways of dealing with peer pressure. You may need to say “No” at times; you may need to agree at some other occasions and yet remain silent at others. While it is good to be open to ideas from others, the final signature in a deal should only be yours!
Disclaimer: This article has been written by a member of Corporate Communications Team at Fortune Institute of International Business and doesn’t reflect the views of the Institute.