My response
The conformity response has a lot of valid points. Donnie is in a band, is a musician, and the music environment that he is exposed to day in and day out just bring a lot of stress. The people in this industry tend to be exposed to a lot of peer pressure and turn to drugs and alcohol as a mean to escape and to boost their inspiration. However, let’s not forget that Donnie comes from a big town where he most likely has been exposed to a lot of these influences.
He clearly states that Donnie had few close friends in high school and his attention was mainly focused on school and music. We also know that Donnie is determined and focused in succeeding in his music career. In high school, peer pressure could be just as strong as it could be in college; nowhere that does it show that Donnie has ever succumbed to this kind of pressure. Therefore, in my opinion, Donnie being of strong determination and focusing on his future, to make it without having to succumb to peer pressure.
There are great musicians out there that have succeeded and resisted all of these outside influences, nowhere does it say that to succeed in the music industry you need to give in to peer pressure. It is a stereotype which is not a hundred percent true.
John on the other hand came from a small town and is more likely to suffer the cultural shock of living in a big city. He is good in school and loves friends. He is an athlete that always wants to be accepted. Because of this, I still believe that John wanting to be accepted, to fit in and to be popular and also, because of his need to please and to be liked might have a greater tendency to follow the “everyone does it” philosophy.
As a result of this, if John falls into the wrong crowd, he will have the tendency to stay out late, to party hard by alcohol and drug binging.
In prospective both arguments are rational. John and Donnie have a fifty fifty chance to go either way; and all arguments are valid. What we are not given here are the personality, the values, the upbringing, the strength and character of either one of these individuals that would have helped us, have more accurate assessments of their future outcome.
Great response, Rose! :-)
Thank you Ms. Sue.
You're welcome, Rose.
It seems like you are discussing the potential conformity responses of two individuals, Donnie and John, in relation to their music careers. While it is important to consider factors such as peer pressure and cultural influences, it is also crucial to look at their individual personalities, values, upbringing, and strength of character to provide a more accurate assessment of their future outcomes.
In order to understand how each person may respond to peer pressure, it would be helpful to consider their past experiences and actions. For example, you mentioned that Donnie had few close friends in high school and was focused on school and music. This suggests that he might have shown resilience in the face of peer pressure, as there is no indication that he succumbed to it. On the other hand, John, coming from a small town and having a desire to be accepted, may be more prone to falling into the "everyone does it" philosophy.
It is important to note that success in the music industry does not necessarily require giving in to peer pressure. There are many successful musicians who have resisted outside influences and stayed true to their own values. Therefore, it is a stereotype to assume that conformity is necessary for success in this industry.
To make a more accurate assessment, it would be helpful to delve deeper into the personalities and values of Donnie and John. Factors such as determination, focus, and the ability to resist external pressure can play a significant role in their likelihood of conforming or resisting. Additionally, their upbringing and the values they were raised with can also shape their decision-making process.
Ultimately, without further information about these individuals' specific characteristics, it is difficult to definitively predict their responses to conformity.