The Power of One

While watching The Crucible in class it suddenly hit me how truly ridiculous the power Abigail has over the girls in the town. With one lousy threat she has them all willing to die for the accusations of witchery before they tell the truth. After coming to this realization I started trying to relate it to everyday events. All too often we are more affected by the things our peers say as opposed to those in real authority. Something about the fear of not being accepted easily paralyzes us into succumbing to our self appointed higher power- our peers. We see things like this happening everyday in schools all over. Teenagers are willing to do almost anything to fit in regardless of the consequences or risks. Laws are broken everyday by youths all around because they view the influences around them as being greater than the law. As sad as it is, most of us have fallen victim to the hands of peer pressure. Although, the majority may not have been pushed to do something illegal. Despite the negative light I have shed these influences in, they are not all bad. If we consciously decide which forces we will allow to affect us and make sure they are positive we could use it as a tool in better our selves as human beings. Peer pressure can be a good and bad thing depending on who is involved. If you're the one inflicting the pressure, understand the power you hold. Abigail understood what influences she had over Salem and she used it for her own grimy purposes. If you're the one being pressured, have enough soundness of mind to depict right from wrong and don't allow yourself to be lost in the 'popular' thing to do. Influence is a dangerous thing.