¨If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?¨

Admit it. At one point in all of our lives, our parents have said that infamous phrase to us. The phrase itself may be the most repeated sentence in all of history, yet the irony of it is what stands out the most to me.

When we were younger, we were taught to think for ourselves, be independent and not do things just because everyone else was doing them. Let´s say, for example, that you are a little girl who wants her ears pierced and you ask for your parents´ permission. They would probably ask you why you want your ears pierced all of a sudden and you say something like, ¨All of the other girls in my class have pierced ears.¨

Your parents would probably would not be pleased with your answer and would respond with, ¨If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?¨ The meaning behind the phrase is, obviously, that you shouldn´t do something just because everyone else is doing it. It´s all about individuality. Yet, when we get older, our individuality seems to get stripped away and we are thrust into expectations about how we should act and who we should be. It becomes increasingly harder to be ourselves and break away from the social norms set in front of us. We are expected to all think the same, like the same things, do the same things.

Let me explain my theory. As a minor example, I´ll use fashion sense. We are not only ¨supposed¨ to follow the latest fashion trends, we are expected to buy/wear whatever is in style at that moment. Phrases like, ¨That´s so last season¨ or ¨Why are you wearing that¨ are not only negative and judgmental, but they also contribute to the idea that we should all be/look the same. We should be allowed/encouraged to wear whatever we want without fear of judgment or being ostracized for our wardrobe choices. Styles change too often for everyone to keep up with them. Yet there is a constant pressure to keep up with what everyone else is wearing.

As a bigger example, let´s use college. Let´s be serious, it isn´t for everyone but it is looked down upon if you haven´t gone or aren´t currently attending. What about people that have trouble learning or would rather spend their twenties trying to get a record deal for their band? Should they be judged for being different and wanting different things out of their lives? Should they be looked at differently because they don´t agree with or conform to one element of society simply because it isn´t for them?

Of course not, but unfortunately, most of them are. Many of them are petrified to even tell their parents, the 2 people in the world that will love them no matter what. Their parents are not always supportive of their decisions. (In some cases they are but that´s not the point right now.) They may even come back with, ¨But everyone goes to college,¨ to which my response would automatically be, ¨If everyone else jumped off a bridge, does that mean that I should?¨ Hence the irony.

I´m not saying that you should skip going to college. In fact, I´m currently attending a university myself. I´m just saying that college isn´t always in the cards for everyone. People are also perceived as brave when they break the social norm and decide not to go to college. They are brave but it shouldn´t be as a big of a deal. This is because they should be allowed, encouraged even, to make their own decisions and live life the way that they want to live it without fear of judgment or disappointing their parents or peers. Society should not dictate our lives like that.

 Individuality should be rampant all over the place instead of squished or looked down upon. It should be encouraged from a young age and continue to be encouraged all through adulthood. Nobody should ever be afraid to be different from the rest of the pack or to be themselves but it´s the unfortunate reality of the world that we live in right now. But you should have the courage to pursue your dreams no matter what. You may fail but through failure comes character and world experience.

So basically, don´t jump off the bridge. Let the followers do that. Be the leader of your own destiny. Be yourself. Be who you want to be. It may be the harder road but it´ll be worth it in the end. Things worth having don´t come easy but hey... sounds like life to me.