Groups for Good

I've found in life that you may have a boundary like, holding hands with a girl. But then one day, you hold hands with a girl and you never want to go back. That sounds simple, but think about how far kids (minors) go these days to get attention.

I wonder how many times we get swayed by the crowd. I look at high school these days and am shocked at what a crazy place it is. Think of how they dress, treat teachers, or talk. Literally, most kids can't speak a full sentence without swearing. And I'm not sure most of them would wear those things to your average restaurant.

So where does that come from? I suppose that we could argue that many in the home are experiencing foul mouthed parents who lounge around in their underwear. But what are the other influences. I don't know of many (popular) video games that openly use swear words in every sentence. However, I do see/hear it in music videos.

But take those same kids and put them in a job interview in a coffee shop. Suddenly, they lose their favorite expletive. They dress nice. They have respect for authority. By and large, they can act like an adult for a while.

It seems obvious. “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Perhaps that is why alternative schools are getting so much traction. If you take the students out of the "bad" environment, then they are more likely to focus on the good things they can do to change their current situation.

The bigger question I have for you is whether or not you can run against the crowd? For instance, can you be in the caustic environment and survive unscathed? Perhaps for a short time. If you are surrounded by a good group in a caustic environment, you are probably less likely to be impacted.

One last story. I moved from a small town in Idaho to a suburb of Washington DC. The first thing I noticed was how quickly students walked to class. I'd be in mozie mode and kids would go flying by me "walking." I thought to myself, "This is just a faster pace."

Three years later I went to college and within my first week I realized I was "walking" to class faster than everyone else on campus. Without really noticing, I had been influenced by my environment.

The important thing is that we get back to what we know is right, surround ourselves with those that we want to emulate. Good will rub off on good.