Why it is hard to do the right thing even though it is not the popular thing? Give one real life situation that occurred and describe why it was right and just and difficult.
People are social creatures. Therefore, we feel we need the approval of the others in our society. If something that society does is wrong, than many people will go along with it, even if they know it is wrong, only to fit in to the crowd. This means that it is very hard to resist the "flow" of public opinion and to stand up for what is right. I have a friend who is teased because he isn't "the sharpest tool in the shed". I try to stand up for him whenever someone teases him, but I also get teased for doing so. I also help to put things he doesn't understand into simpler terms when the teacher/speaker is unable to. Sometimes, he is a bit hard to have around, but he is ultimately one of the most devoted friends I have.
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Delaney
4/12/2012 11:48:33 am
Popularity is a very interesting thing. Some people thing that they are popular and others don't. One person in another persons eyes could be popular but in their own eyes they aren't popular. They might go home and cry because they don't feel included. I have had an experience when I have felt unwanted. Some of the students formed a clique and would not let anybody else in their group except for their members. I tried to worm my way into their group but they would not let me in at all. They resorted to being rude and making me feel like the worst thing in the world. I went home crying many times. I just wanted to get out of school forever so I would never have to see them again. So I had to find refuge with other people. None of this was the right or just thing to do except the people i took refuge with. It was extremely difficult for me to have to go through this traumatic time. I hope that this won't happen to me again at this sort of level.
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Eddie Bickett
4/13/2012 01:06:06 am
It is hard to do the right thing even though it is not popular because everone wants to be liked and sometimes the right thing to do is not the most popular thing to do. One time everone was ganging up on another, so I rushed in and pulled him out and defended him.
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andre K
4/13/2012 01:14:12 am
People think to fit into society, you have to do what everyone else is doing, even if it is wrong or against the law.. I am popular in my school, but thats because I stand out in the crowd, I dont care about whatever people say or think, because it doesn't even matter. Just be cool, yourself, and stay calm..You could be popular even if you aren't doing what the popular kids are doing ;)
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Hunter M
4/13/2012 01:23:44 am
Having friends is very important to humans. Our friends help define who we are as a person, and, without friends, we would have very horrendus lives and memories. (not to mention dull). So naturally, we, as humans, would want to do things that will get us the most friends and avoid things that make us lose them. When one person is getting picked on by many, what would you do: help him or her stand by, or help pick on him? What if I asked the question this way: would you lose one friend, or many? You know which choice you would make.
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Molly M.
4/13/2012 01:30:35 am
It is the natural human inclination to want to be liked by others. Therefore, we, as people, will make choices to become popular. For example, even if you don't agree with a choice made by others, you might accept it because you desperately want to be like by those choice-makers. Popularity sometimes means you don't go against the crowd and you go with flow of ideas and choices. But, one can obtain popularity without giving up their own wants and beliefs. But, this is on a small-scale....(had to stop because class ended)
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Molly M.
4/13/2012 03:51:18 am
(continued from previous response)...world. Sometimes the popular choice is the required choice. In World War II, the slaughter and humiliation of the Jews and other victims was promoted and considered the "popular" reason. It is obvious this wasn't the right choice, and many Germans recognized this. But, if the Germans had opposed Hitler and the Nazis' orders, they would have been thrown in prison or the concentration camps, tortured, and/or killed. Therefore, many of the people involved in WWII did not try and stop the horrendous crimes the Nazis were committing. But, this doesn't a small, marginal group of Aryans didn't try and prevent or/and halt the Nazis from destroying more Jewish people and culture. This was the right choice, but neither the safe or popular choice.
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Lyra D
4/13/2012 01:32:34 am
There are different types of "popular" people. People who do a lot of extracurricular activities like sports, etc, and/or people who get involved a lot at school. Also people who are mean to everyone and bully them, and everyone knows who they are. But people who are generally nice to people, and is friends with everyone, is a different kind of popular, and is the good kind of popular. If all the "popular kids' start doing drugs and smoke", you may think that if you do these things, then you will be considered "cool" if you do those things... (continued in next post because class ended ): .. )
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Lyra D
4/13/2012 03:59:28 am
(cont)...but in reality, you will probably get sick or if you continue, then you will acquire lung cancer :(, the popular people might thing you are just copying them, when you smoke. (maybe you will become popular, but for a short time most likely). Just because the popular people are doing something, or if "everyone" is doing something, and it's bad, doesn't mean you should do it. It is natrual to want to do something because everyone is doing it, to "fit in", but it doesn't mean you should. You should do what you, and only you think is the right thing to do. (smoking and drugs are not the right choice.)
For example, in WW2, hitler was sending jews to concentration camps to die, people went along with it because he was their leader, but the jews were suffering. A few people and countries though, stood up to him and did what was right, not what was "popular" in Germany.
In real life, i had a situation when i had to choose from the popular choice (what everyone wanted, but it wasnt right) or another choice, that was right, but no one wanted that except for me. It was a hard decision, but i went against the flow, and chose to do what was right.
But in many cases, the popular choice is right, so in that situation, you should do what everyone else is doing. For example, doing charity work.
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Tori S
4/13/2012 04:17:38 am
It's is sometimes hard to do the right things, even when it's not popular because often the lines of right and wrong are blurred. It could either be because their friends have done it or they don't know what to do in the situation. They might have been placed in a situation that they've never been placed in before or when they get lost in the situation and get confused. I could also come from their friends and wanting to fit in with a certain crowd. Even though the crowd might not be popular and the things they are doing and supporting might not be popular, that person still wants to fit in. When WWII started a lot of people didn't agree with what Hitler was doing, but they didn't want to speak up. When the Hitler Youth formed most male German teens joined because all their friends were doing it and in joining it they were supporting their country. Some of the boys (like the one in: "The Boy Who Dared) didn't like Hitler Youth and what it was set up for, but joined anyways because of their friends.
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Gracie Cook
4/13/2012 04:17:51 am
It is hard to do the right thing even though its not the popular thing because people want the approval of other people.For example, if some of the kids in class were cheating on their test, and they asked you to join, the right choice would be to say no, but the popular choose would be to join them and cheat. Nobody wants to be thought as unpopular or uncool, but you always should choose to do the right thing. During WW2, the Jews were persecuted and put though horrible conditions, but few people would help. Some people stood up for the Jews, and choose the right thing to do, not the popular.
The real life stituation was when I defended someone because I knew that the other person was wrong. The popular choice would have been to not defend the person, but I choose the right choice.
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Brandon R
4/29/2012 08:54:58 am
It is hard to do the right thing even though it is unpopular because everyone that you are friends with mightsay that you are weird or something. One situation that happened like that to me was that there was this girl who was new to the school and she was unpopular and nobody liked her or even talked to her. So one day, one of my stupid friends played a prank and i got dragged into it. So i said sorry to the girl and now we are friends and talk on a regular basis
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Dean W
4/29/2012 11:56:37 pm
People love to have the approval of others. They want to be part of the popular group, not the uncool, unsatisfying crowd that no one likes. My experience is that one of my friends used to be picked on because of the things he liked to do. Every one would make fun of him, but finally, one day, when he went outside for recess, someone through a water balloon at the kid. He was upset, so I decided that I was goin to talk to him.
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Dean W
4/29/2012 11:58:06 pm
After about five minutes, he became one of the most interesting and funniest person I had ever met. After that day he became one of my best friends.
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Paige F
5/8/2012 06:57:46 am
It is hard to do the right thing even though it is the unpopular thing because if you do something that not everyone else is doing you will stick out and everyone see but it will often lead you to not get in trouble and will make you a better person. An example is if one person is helping a teacher that the rest of the class doesn't particularly like you will stick out but it is helping you because you are doing the right thing and becoming a better person.
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Patrick
5/9/2012 06:42:41 am
It is hard to do the right thing almost always because it is not the popular thing. It may make you unpopular but it will help the person in need. I once knew a guy that had no friends since he was new so I introduced myself to him. He was not exactly the most popular kid, so I kind of became unpopular too for being his friend. But no matter what, he is a great guy and we are still great friends today.
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Daylan Esquivel
5/10/2012 06:57:36 am
It is hard due to wanting to be the one thats the center of attention or the one who everyone likes but somtimes what is popular isnt right. One example is when my grand parents visited i had the option to go to my friends house or stay so i chose stay due to not seeing my grand parents.
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HFCS 8th Grade has started a unit on World War II. This is the discussion board.
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