Why Do People Try To Change Us?

Have you noticed that when someone is a little different in some way -- whether he be a virgin, non-drinker, or what have you -- others do whatever they can to try to "convert" him so that he can be more like them?

This I find rather disturbing.

It's very similar to the peer pressure we confronted in grade school to smoke weed and join the "cool club."

People become disarmed and unsettled when someone is different in some way because it makes them question some of their own tendencies and decisions.

I know various couples who had children at an early age and are always prodding newlyweds to have their own -- despite the pairs making it clear that they wish to enjoy their marriage for a few years and hold off on parenthood.

Then there are those who pressure virgins to lose their virginity and non-drinkers to take a swig here and there.

Why is it so hard for people to accept that these individuals may be set in their ways and may very well decide to forever abstain from having alcohol, sex, and kids?

Again, when others think and behave like us, it validates our own ways. So when someone comes along who strays from that, it makes some of us uncomfortable.

We should never coax anyone into doing something that goes against their beliefs, principles, and wishes -- just to make ourselves feel better. We should always respect people's choices, whether we agree with them or not.

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