Integrity and Peer Pressure

"If it be right and honest..."


From Meditations the Fifth Book by Marcus Aurelius:

III. Think thyself fit and worthy to speak, or to do anything that is according to nature, and let not the reproach, or report of some that may ensue upon it, ever deter thee. If it be right and honest to be spoken or done, undervalue not thyself so much, as to be discouraged from it. As for them, they have their own rational over-ruling part, and their own proper inclination: which thou must not stand and look about to take notice of, but go on straight, whither both thine own particular, and the common nature do lead thee; and the way of both these, is but one.

One way to consider "reasonable" is that way of justifying doing (or not doing) some action despite the knowledge of the effect on one's integrity. Compliance with peer pressure results in a trend toward mediocrity (if "everybody" is doing it, it can't be far from the mean (average), right?).

Being the father of daughters, I see the effect of peer pressure on them and I am committed to "being" a stand for them to be in integrity and to pursue what is right and honest and be "unreasonable". This requires that I model the behaviors I espouse.

It ain't crowded on the leading edge but I'm in good company. Will you join me?

It's comforting to be in the company of an Emperor...

How does this land on you?

MSS