Sake Of Belonging Essay, Research Paper

Just for the Sake of Belonging

Two common ways of handling a situation are either to do so

according to one?s own personal needs and desires with no specific

regard to other people, or one can base a decision on how it will be

viewed by others. The vast majority of people fall on the side of

being worried about what others are saying and thinking. Both good and

bad can come from living this way, but it has seemed to remain

constant throughout history. People have a natural desire to belong,

and to fit in with a certain group. No matter what group an individual

chooses, that individual almost always is forced sacrifice a part of

them self in order to seem more a part of things. People in this world

seem to need companionship and are often too weak to stand alone. As a

result, they stand together in what ever group they are best suited

to.

It is a point of interest to many of the people who have stopped to

think about this fact. The idea that people live according to how

others will perceive then has been established as the rule, not the

exception. The real question now lies in the reasons for this way of

life. It was hypothesized by C.S. Lewis that this desire to belong

and to fit in is a natural human characteristic. He believed that

people have an instinctive drive to belong, in the same sort of way

species reproduce. It is possible that his theory of instinctive

necessity is accurate, and humans are as a whole are week and scared

when they are faced with solitude.

The old adage ?there is safety in numbers? is appropriate in this

topic. Often in this world terrible things happen because people group

up and commit unspeakable acts, then take shelter in the numbers of

those involved. The Annual Freaknik ?celebration? is the perfect

example. Thousands of individuals crowd the streets of Atlanta and

pillage the city for a weekend, all the while they show no respect

for the laws or the residents of the city. This can be directly

related to the issue of people doing things to be a part of the group.

If these people were asked individually why they did these terrible

things, for the most part they would respond by saying ?everyone else

is doing it??. This could be translated to ?I am just trying to be a

part of things?. In this particular example those involved sacrifice

any sense of morals or upbringing that they might have had.

?Everybody is doing it?. This sentence has ruined thousands of lives.

It could could be the worst four word combination in the English

language. People have been convinced to begin drug use, drunk driving,

cliff jumping, and countless other unwise activities. The reason

behind this is clear, the human necessity to fit in and to seem cool

is often to strong to compete with. A person could have the world and

all of its riches, but with out someone to share it with, that person

would be totally alone.

People need each other. This is a fact of the world, and it will

never change.

This need is a natural desire that is found every where in every

person with very few exceptions. It is true that trouble can brew and

awful things can happen because of these groups, but the advantages

associated far out weigh the costs. These groups that people form

between themselves often serve as shelter for the lonely, for this

reason it is natural for people to go far out their way if necessary

to belong a particular crowd. As a result the opinion of others is

crucial part of life.