In every school a “top” crowd sets the pace, while the others follow their lead.Let’s say the top crowd decides that it is smart to wear bright red sweaters. Pretty soon everybody is wearing a bright red sweater. There is nothing wrong with that, except the fact that on some people a bright red sweater is extremely unbecoming. The situation can even become dangerous, if the top crowd decides that it is smart to drink or to drive cars at seventy miles an hour. Then the people who follow the lead are endangering their lives. They are like the sheep being led to the butcher.

Now, chances are that you have come across situations like these more than once in your life; chances are that one time or another you probably did something you knew to be wrong. You may have excused yourself by saying, “Gee, the crowd does it.” Well, let the crowd do it, but don’t do it yourself. Learn to say, “No.”

Develop your own standards and your own judgment. If you know the crowd is planning something you disagree with, have the courage to bow out politely. You’ll have the satisfaction of standing on your own two feet. Remember this in your heart, you are the unique one in the world, just be yourself.

每所学校中都有一群领头学生做出榜样，其他人蜂拥效仿。比如，一旦这些领头学生决定以穿鲜红色羊毛衫为时尚，那么很快人人都会穿着鲜红色羊毛衫。这件事本身没什么问题，但事实上有些人极不适合穿鲜红色毛衫。如果这些领头学生觉得喝酒或以70英里的时速开车很时尚的话，情况甚至会变得危险起来。这些盲从的学生正危及自己的生命。他们就像被领到屠夫面前的绵羊。

在你生命中，这种情况你可能遇到不止一次；可能你时不时也会做自己知道是不对的事情。你可能会为自己开脱说：“大家都在这么做嘛。”那让大家这么做好了，但你自己不要这样做。要学会说“不”。

要有自己的标准和判断。如果你知道大家正在计划一件你不赞成的事情，鼓起勇气礼貌地退出。你会为自己学会自立感到满意的。请记住一点，世上只有一个你，做你自己吧。