Well, it's kind of like an annoying insect. It buzzes my ear every so often (well, more often when I was younger than now), but I just swat it and it goes away.
What can I say, I'm a Leo. Leos tend to be born leaders. ;)
It's funny. I think wherever I've landed in my life, I've always been considered the 'exotic' so it was actually expected of me to be, you know....exotic.
So if I didn't want to do something, my peers never pressured me and always granted me this strange exception that no one else got.
To be honest, I think the same holds true today. In my circle of peers - I'm the creative, I'm the ethnic, I'm the this, I'm the that.
In other words, I'm never really 'the norm' of any given group (even with the ethnic groups since I am married to someone out of my ethnicity) because there's always that ONE thing that keeps me the same but....different.
I really relate to the mermaid. Not of this place - not of that place. Would you peer pressure a mermaid to do anything? Dude! She's a mermaid! Let her be! ;)
There was quite a long answer typed out, but i read it over and erased it all 'cause it sounded stupid.
The shorter answer is thus: It's been a pretty powerful influence. I wouldn't be who i am today without my peers picking on me. Life throws me the funniest bones, but i never expected that peer pressure could be both a negative and positive influence. In school we were all taught that it's evil and a hindrance to personal growth. I call bullshit 'cause i've only ever been helped by it. :) That kinda pressure just pushes me to do better; to reinvent myself every so often so i don't fall into stagnation. Ya know?
From the people I don't like/love? Not very. Even when I was younger it was easier to ignore pressure from the crowd. However, it was pretty easy for someone I called a friend to get me to do things I wouldn't normally do, or be a way I didn't want to be.
Now, however, I'm pretty damned resistant to it. :D
The pressure(s) in my life have been hella crazy. But I've found out that half the pressures in my life are my own doing. Yeah- other people drive me crazy too... but things start within yourself and then it sorta trickles outward.
Once I realized some of the crappy things I was doing over the years-- I began to slowly eliminate those bad behaviors. Of course... I have a hard head so I to learn it through my ass (as my mother always used to say.) It took a really nasty suicide attempt 3 years ago to wake me up.
It's sad though that it actually took me DYING to get the picture, so to speak. Although my life isn't perfect-- I know I'm a helluva lot better off than I was then.
I don't think peer pressure played a huge part in my life. I haven't been forced or felt pressured to do anything. I'm my own person and tend to be pretty curious so I'd be willing to try something once if I liked the sound of it, if I wasn't interested I'd ignore the comments and go about my day as usual.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 09:16 am (UTC)*hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 01:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 10:08 am (UTC)What can I say, I'm a Leo. Leos tend to be born leaders. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 01:15 pm (UTC)You're definitely a leader, sis :D
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 10:30 am (UTC)It's funny. I think wherever I've landed in my life, I've always been considered the 'exotic' so it was actually expected of me to be, you know....exotic.
So if I didn't want to do something, my peers never pressured me and always granted me this strange exception that no one else got.
To be honest, I think the same holds true today. In my circle of peers - I'm the creative, I'm the ethnic, I'm the this, I'm the that.
In other words, I'm never really 'the norm' of any given group (even with the ethnic groups since I am married to someone out of my ethnicity) because there's always that ONE thing that keeps me the same but....different.
I really relate to the mermaid. Not of this place - not of that place. Would you peer pressure a mermaid to do anything? Dude! She's a mermaid! Let her be! ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 01:15 pm (UTC)The norm is mostly boring anyway :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 10:43 am (UTC)The shorter answer is thus: It's been a pretty powerful influence. I wouldn't be who i am today without my peers picking on me. Life throws me the funniest bones, but i never expected that peer pressure could be both a negative and positive influence. In school we were all taught that it's evil and a hindrance to personal growth. I call bullshit 'cause i've only ever been helped by it. :) That kinda pressure just pushes me to do better; to reinvent myself every so often so i don't fall into stagnation. Ya know?
So, yes. Powerful. ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 01:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 11:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 01:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 12:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 01:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 04:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 12:40 pm (UTC)Now, however, I'm pretty damned resistant to it. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 01:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 03:34 pm (UTC)In all honesty:
The pressure(s) in my life have been hella crazy. But I've found out that half the pressures in my life are my own doing. Yeah- other people drive me crazy too... but things start within yourself and then it sorta trickles outward.
Once I realized some of the crappy things I was doing over the years-- I began to slowly eliminate those bad behaviors. Of course... I have a hard head so I to learn it through my ass (as my mother always used to say.) It took a really nasty suicide attempt 3 years ago to wake me up.
It's sad though that it actually took me DYING to get the picture, so to speak. Although my life isn't perfect-- I know I'm a helluva lot better off than I was then.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 03:36 pm (UTC)That's why I plan on making my 30s the best years of my life!!!
I'll let ya know in 10 years how it went! LMAO
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 03:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 03:39 pm (UTC)I do what I want! * evil smirk*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 03:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 03:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 04:02 pm (UTC)That works :D
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 06:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 06:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 08:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-17 08:17 pm (UTC)That works!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-13 01:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-13 11:39 am (UTC)