Analyzing “Invisible Influence” by Jonah Berger
In the framework of Armenian Science and Technology Center project by TSD
“The prosecution rests,” said the District Attorney.
The judge looked at me.
“Proceed,” I said.
I got up. “Your Honor, I shall call no witnesses. This will be my testimony and my summation.”
“Take the oath[1].”
“If you were to take my hand and we were to go back in time, we would be standing in a small village, where people live in harmony and understanding, appreciating and regarding each other’s values, opinions and vision. But, this does not linger for long. Famine and thirst assail, and the village goes on panic. Days pass, and fortunately or unfortunately, one of the villagers manages to sprinkle the well. You see how the villagers are happy and delighted? However, all of a sudden, the wisest and regarded man of the village warns them not to drink the water, as he has seen a dream - that all of them will go crazy by drinking it. Surely, everyone laugh at him and drink that water, except the old man. So, what has happened? As the water was really poisoned and all the villagers drank it, indeed all of them would act the same way, as if “normal”, and only the old man would stand out for he had not drunk the water. Moreover, he would be the one, who would act like crazy[2].
Nowadays, in each step, we can face similar stories when individuals are neglected, when creative or free ideas are tend to be unrealistic, when social pressure distracts us from our goal and puts us into a collective box. I want to ask a question to you all: “When you were a child, weren’t you dreaming? And what percent of those dreams can you realize NOW?” And, “Have you ever felt like the old man in ONE time of your life?” That’s what happened to me. That’s why we are here. Let us talk about this a bit more.
Who are we? Where are we standing? Where are we going? This is the mind-blowing “philosophical” questions, which each generation answers subjectively. Yet, indeed, we ask not who I AM, but who we ARE. Because we are part of a big machine, not a separate and independent particle. However, that each part of that big machine has his/her own role and function. Everything is quite simple, but why sometimes (by our own will or maybe not) a wheel wants to become a steering wheel or a bolt wants to resemble a lever? Maybe we don’t know who we really are? What is our role? And maybe, we don’t really want to know or allowed to know?! Because it is much more easier to do what you are told to do and be what you meant to be.
Society decides, society suggests and society consumes. But who forms that society? Me? You? Them? Or, someone else? Who decides for me? Who decide what I will read or watch or wear? Do I agree? Yes or No? Because with my decision, I can break or support the “normal routine of life”. There are thousands of species of flowers, and none of them resemble each other. And why should we? Maybe we can be more than we really are. More but not the best. Because our bestomania turn us to become someone else, turn us to resemble each other. “Social influence affects the products we buy, services we choose, grades we get in school, and careers we follow[3].” I didn’t want to take that lead: I wanted to create my own way. Or simply I try. That’s why we are all here today.
Twice a year, a secret meeting takes place somewhere in Europe. Representatives from various countries gather in a room in an undisclosed location, debating for days until a decision is reached. Presentations are made, arguments lobbed, and sides taken. Neither a nuclear security meeting, nor a G20 summit, but rather an event that some might argue has a bigger impact on our everyday life. It is the meeting to decide the Color of the Year[4]. Amazing! And one day, our society will decide and “maybe” now, it does decide “my color.”
Sometimes we conform, or imitate others around us. But in other cases we diverge, or avoid things because other people are doing them. “We avoid blaring our horn in traffic because we don’t want to be one of those people[5].” When do we imitate others and when do we avoid what they are doing? When do peers motivate us to work harder and when do they drive us to give up? And what does all this mean for happiness, health, and success, both at home and at work? These are questions that science and the whole humanity tries to answer. But answer is so simple. Answer lies in us. It is all about us and our living. As stated above, we cannot be independent, but we can be dependent on something.
By standing here, I am not standing AGAINST the majority. By standing here I am standing FOR myself and for each self who wants to be a bit more, to act a bit more and to create a bit more. Can you tell me, who we meet when we look in the mirror? Us or a reflection of pop-star, political or social figure, a businessman or simply our neighbor? Them, and certainly not us. I feel that I am loosing myself, and moreover recently I have noticed that I am a different person. You know why this happens? Because we don’t trust ourselves, we do not believe in what we see in us and prefer to know what is trusted, imitate someone who is accepted by the society, have our comfort zone, sit there, be there and then pass away like others. So sad.
So, why? What is the essence of our life, if we resemble each other[6]? Where is the progress? As our conformity kills us, and kills the very great men that can originate. Now, I certainly know how our great minds took the lead, how they made inventions for the better change of our society: they knew themselves very well, knew what they wanted, trusted themselves, and the most important thing - their love for their mission, dream, goal was stronger than the pressure and invisible influences of the society. If society does not understand you, it means you are living in your world, if it does it means you are living in theirs.
So? Society - a large group of people who live together in an organized way, having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests and making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done. Indeed. Do you remember, when we were a child, what were we doing? Being naughty, breaking that “organized” way and building our own world, world of dreams, world of emotions - a fairy world, a crazy world. I am an individual – a single human being, who has his/her own vision, goal, dreams. I don’t want to change it, I do want to use it. I would prefer not to drink that water and be a castaway, than live a live which does not exit. Life is for living and dreaming and creating and changing, but not for surviving and acting artificial. Life is full of choices but we do not use it. Time will come and we will lose our last choice – a choice to live.
[1] This extract is taken from Ayn Rand’s literal work “The Fountainhead”, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1943, pp. 512-517. The book was also filmed: The Fountainhead (1949) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041386/
[2] The source of the story is unknown and some facts have been rewritten.
[3] Jonah Berger, “Invisible Influence. The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior”. Simon & Schuster, New York, 2016, p. 7.
[4] Ibid. pp. 93-95.
[5] Ibid. pp. 15-16.
[6] Ibid. pp. 18-21.