If all your friends jumped off the building, would you jump too?

@thebigk • Oct 22, 2024

Oct 22, 2024

1.4K

I remember my mom would use that phrase to make me use my own 'brain' and do the 'right' thing. But it turns out that the question is far more 'interesting' than it appears. The 'following the crowd' mentality might make you thinks you'd otherwise not do.

So imagine if all of your friends jumped off a tall building one by one; would do jump too? I think it's more of a physiological question now.

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Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Feb 15, 2013

I would not. Mainly because I am a bit of a loner. In Andhra university I used to climb the hostel buildings gripping the rough dressed granite stones used for the walls. No one else tried that.
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Feb 15, 2013

Awesome! I think a lot of people would. I know a lot of people who chose engineering because their friends did. They all work in IT today. 😀
Jeffrey Arulraj

@jeffrey-xA7lUP • Feb 16, 2013

Now if you go out of the box the society treats you like an outcast forcing you to be a part of the crowd. But you in your inner conscience will lose your own self respect when you do the same

PS: Imo If you come to Electronics to work in an IT firm you are the worst moron in this world
CE Designer

@ce-designer-BWq0yl • Mar 5, 2013

I think when our elders tell us this because they don't want us to just follow, but think for yourself. If you have thought it through enough then the best decision may be to follow. At the end of it all, a decision was made, and you made it.
Anoop Mathew

@anoop-FRTf1L • Mar 5, 2013

Well i'd say that it depends on the situation. The reason your parents tell you these things is to invoke your mind to think. The question could be answered in two different ways psychologically:

Case-1:
If the building was on fire and there is no other alternative and your friends know that landing below would at-least keep you alive than dead. The best option would be to jump along!

Case-2:
If the building was not on fire, then the entire question would change - why jump? What's the intention?

If you guys were trying out base-jumping, then it's all about the adrenaline rush you get while trying out such an adventure sport. The decision is ultimately yours.

I've seen guys who don't know swimming, end up getting pulled out as dead bodies because they got drunk and jumped along with their friends (just because they thought that their heart stood on top of their minds).

P.S.: All this reminds me of a movie 'Rang de Basanti'.
Saandeep Sreerambatla

@saandeep-sreerambatla-hWHU1M • Mar 5, 2013

I would not, and if its not for peer pressure and caring for the opinions of others nobody would!

Its OK always to copy something from people as long as you are getting some benefit or learning out of it. Since god copies as well he kept all the basic features of humans the same!!. But its stupid if we copy or do something which is useless.

I remember writing a post on my blog (which is not available now) regarding copying film stars or copying friends or doing what a group is doing it all depends on what you think of you..

If you value yourself with your opinions then you dont do it without thinking and if you care about others opinions more than yours then yes , you are just a normal human!!
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Mar 6, 2013

Several people would. I personally know people who opted for 'engineering' because almost everyone in their friend circle went for it. There are several people who began smoking because almost everyone in their friend-circle did. You knew it wasn't good, your mind told you it's bad for your health and yet, you did it. It's all 'peer-pressure'.

It's always interesting to find out how the mind works. If several people are doing it, it must be a 'cool' thing to do. That's how we think.

Advertisers know this ver well 😀
CE Designer

@ce-designer-BWq0yl • Mar 6, 2013

I will not put the blame solely on peer pressure. If we do something that we wouldn't normally do or not supposed to do, our final decision to actually do it was because deep down we really wanted to; because there are some things you just won't do, things peer pressure wont affect.
Anoop Kumar

@anoop-kumar-GDGRCn • Mar 6, 2013

I will better call at 911 ☕☕
zaveri

@zaveri-5TD6Sk • Mar 11, 2013

if my friends plan to jump off the building , then i would either:

1) wait till the last guy has jumped off, and chuckle and say "good riddance !"

2) i would not jump, but help them to do so, and shout "good bye morons !", after each guy has jumped off