an article about why people do certain things and the author wrote, " Often we become what others expect of us."

I have been mulling this over and over.

Do you believe this to be true?

Depends on how weak-minded of a person you are.

It does happen at times with many more then will admit it. Just as our kids the way we raise them. We teach them from and early age to do things a certain way and to be a certain type of person. Until one branches out they will in fact fall what others expect of them.

Even later in life when some do things one way and others disapprove. of the way they are many times they will change just to get that approval.

So really no matter to what extent we think we are our own person. We still let others influence us to a degree.......

To an extent.

People being social creatures will adapt to fit into an social environment. Children especially want to please and gain acceptance and approval from parents.

Likewise we are surrounded by codes of conduct spoken and assumed.

I can say that most of what I do for a living is based on the needs of others so I adapted to meet those needs to get work. I never really wanted to be a handy man but it pays the bills.

Now for me to become religious suddenly to conform? Not going to happen. The effect is different from person to person. Some are as pliable as Silly Putty while others are as unyielding as stone.

We also live in a society where there is a great expectation for conformity but in Japan that expressed desire for social conformity is a lot more pronounced.

Perhaps when we live with others we fulfill roles, yet when living alone am finding getting further away from that and discovering who I am for may be the first time in life.

Not at all, only if you want to. You become in life, what you want to be.

IT is good the author used the word 'often'

I absolutely think its true....when people(particularly at an earlier age) are constanty told they are not worth anything or not going to be anything,,,,,quite naturally at some point what their ears are hearing and what their mind automatically replays will become one in the same

the same is true if they hear constantly that they can achieve anything they want to...

It really is often a self fulfilling prophecy!

Does entirely depend on inner fortitude ...

When wee children, this was my brother's and my very first deeply philosophical convo:

"As a society, family, peers, etc. sees one and projects onto that person, good or bad???

... That person will often become ... Be it scapegoat or hero ... "

I still believe it is the most common occurrence, not the converse of standing up to it and shaking it off - esp. negative projections!





Edit ... Still remember this as if it were yesterday, though it is now prolly 45 years ago ...