The Price of Attitude

I have of late come to realise that standing up for one's ideals is quickly coming out of fashion. I don't really know if it ever was in fashion, but I am certain it is not in vogue nowadays. Coming to this conclusion was not difficult per se, but having found it, I have had to endure some hard truths. The first of these truths is really very painful. I have observed that speaking up for your ideals (whatever they might be and in whatever context, I’m not discussing any particular standpoint) makes those around you uncomfortable. I'm serious. Whether or not they agree with you is less important than the fact that you are bringing something to their attention that they would prefer to ignore. Many-a-person will simply distance himself/herself from you rather than face a difficult subject. The second truth I discovered is that once you stand on your own, people tend to fear you. At first, it felt strange to me to observe the signs of fear on people who knew me as a very controlled person for a long while; yet, when they made the decision to ‘belong no matter the cost’ they compromised much. These people often choose to avoid you because you can do something they are too afraid to perform. The third truth is that people prefer to justify their poor choices at your expense. If you stand on your ideals and refuse to validate their way of life, you will become a pariah. Finally, a person, who assumes an attitude of courage in defiance of what they judge to be wrong, or dishonourable or inappropriate stands in stark contrast to the vast majority who surrender their beliefs and values to peer pressure, media control and popularity. One such person becomes a constant reminder that an individual of whatever background can stand for what he/she believes in, if that individual is unwilling to let go of an ideal. This makes many people uncomfortable in your presence, and they stick their heads in the ground, rather than face you. Hence, I have come to understand that the price of attitude is learning the truth about those whom you deem friends. The hardship of this lies on the fact that most of those you once regarded as your friends become uneasy with you and forsake your friendship on behalf of the preservation of their own ego. Yet, there is one consolation in all this, which is the fact that those who remain your proclaimed and public friends truly are. I’m not saying that those who remain must agree with you, quite the opposite really, but they are the ones who respect a person of opinion and attitude. In all honesty, those acquaintances you lose were not worth your time anyway, and those you find out to be people of honour and discerning, who can see beyond an opinion and into your heart, these are truly worth having as friends. Therefore, whoever you are and wherever you are, my advice to you is dare to pay the price. Not paying this price drives you into paying an even steeper price; that is to say that you will compromise your values, your soul and ultimately your own identity.