Are you a leader or a follower?

[nikki]

Heres a question that has been burning in my mind for the past few hours.

Say you were presented with a situation where the general consensus (by general I mean the minority who always have the biggest mouths) was against something, would you side against it as well even though perhaps deep down inside you actually disagree or even worse, dont even have an opinion on the subject? You know, not wanting to rock the boat and end up the odd man out.

I assume most people would lie and say "Oh no, I always speak my mind and stay true to me beliefs." Of course I know thats a lie and so do you. Well, at least thats my opinion on the matter.

Nope, I think most people, especially those in positions of authority or power or even simple popularity...well...they are afraid to take chances. Some people though...like me for instance...dont have anything to lose. I mean, look at hollywood with all of its ultra-political left wing zealots. Do you really think most of those people really believe in the crap they say? If all of their fame, wealth and power suddenly disappeared in the event of say...a nuclear holocaust...dont think for a minute they would be preaching love and tolerance. Oh no indeed. They would be the most violent and desperate people around, being so used to their comfortable lives, and the fawning adulation that comes with wealth and power, they would do anything it takes to get it back.

So where do you think you fit in? Try to be honest. Of course I dont really expect that many people will.

 

[Makasu]

In theory we're all followers. We're going to be following someone's opinion no matter what you think.

I would stand up and voice my opinion if it was something I belived strongly in. Like gay marriage or something. But anything else. Like Brit Spears not wearing vag covers I don't necessarily care to much for.

Again though saying and doing are two different things. You may not have anything to lose but you sure as hell wouldn't have anything to gain either. Because would anybody necessarily care about someone's opinion who just doesn't give a fuck?

 

[nikki]

You may not have anything to lose but you sure as hell wouldn't have anything to gain either. Because would anybody necessarily care about someone's opinion who just doesn't give a fuck?

Call it curiosity. Or...an experiment.

Maybe I should rephrase the question. Would you choose the path of least resistance even though its not the optimal solution, or would you go the hard way and sacrifice your own self intrests in the process?

 

[Makasu]

In that case a follower. Why not just go with the crowd? Unless its for a stupid reason. Or something I have strong beliefs in. Other than that if its "in" I'm in.

That sounds bad actually.

 

[Glitchfinder]

In theory, most people do both. Usually, most will be following the herd mentality, but, when something that affects them or that they believe strongly in comes up, they will often stad up for it. On the other hand, there are some people like me, who really don't try to fit in. In school I was the one setting the curve in many of my classes, and most of my classmates asked me to get a lower grade on one test or another. (At least, in the classes where the teacher set the test scores based on the highest grade earned) In athletics, I was the one yelling at people because they didn't care whether they were playing hockey or just hitting the puck at whoever they didn't like. I was the one who ended up helping the teachers find and implement a new pice of software to keep track of what their students were doing when they were on the computers in a computers course. And I was the one who aggravated everyone who asked for "help" (asking me to give them the answers so they could party/do whatever they wanted) and actually helped the ones who wanted to learn. And finally, I was the one who ended up being the hardest to beat in any debate that ever came up, simply becasue not only did I do more research, but I had more than enough random facts to back up anything that I didn't research. In other words, I was the geek, the teacher's pet, the outcast, and the person the entire staff knew and could trust, and I was perfectly happy with it. Essentially, I am one of the people who doesn't try to blend with the crowd. I try to stand above it.

 

[Perihelion]

The content of this thread doesn't actually relate that much to the title, and it strikes me as the kind of thing where everyone's going to feed his own ego, but anyway...

To answer the question in the thread title, I go both ways. If I'm working with a group of people, and someone else who's at least as qualified as me steps up, great, less work for me. If they're doing it poorly or no one else is volunteering, I take over or at least start steering it in the right direction. I'm fundamentally a lazy person, and the less work for me, the better, but if shit needs to get done and I'm the only one who can get it done well enough to satisfy me, then I'll take charge. I was always in charge of group projects in high school because no one else worked to my standards, but the nice thing about college is that it's full of smart, motivated people.

As for whether I stand up for my beliefs in the face of unpopular opinion, again, it depends. If it's something I feel strongly about, I often will; if I don't care or don't have an opinion, which occurs more often, I just won't do whatever they're doing. I tend to not get into pointless arguments in either case, though, because they're a complete waste of time and energy as far as I'm concerned. I mean, I'm not going to argue with evangelical Christians about abortion because there's no way I'm going to change their mind---and to be honest, I don't give a shit about what they think anyway, so why would I waste my time?

In general, I find myself standing on the sidelines unless I'm needed or I'm personally affronted by something and can make a difference by speaking up. I usually don't start arguments unless I think it'll accomplish something or people are trying to get me to do something I don't want to, though.

 

[Anonymous]

see, you make a thread that at least APPEARS to have content and it's in the wrong forum. i'm not going to move it though i don't feel like getting bitched at.

i do whatever will benefit me the most in the long run.

 

[Injury]

Agreed, but unless the course of said path involves hurting others close to me. In general acceptance, if someone proposes it, I'll go along with it unless it was immoral...but who are we to judge immorality in life, as perverted we humans are?

 

[Venetia]

IDT this is Symposium material based solely off the fact that it's gaging for a personal opinion of your personality--not really a question of non-personal, general opinion.

Anyway as much as I'd LIKE to consider myself a leader, and as often as I get plugged into that role one way or the other, I typically am happiest in a follower role. Mostly just because I'm a fairly lazy person and I don't mind taking orders, so long as I agree with them.

Though if there were ANOTHER choice, I'd be more toward loner ... Meaning that, if I can help it, I'd rather not lead OR follow, but rather, make my own decisions on everything, without worrying about answering to anyone or having anyone depend on me :/

 

[moog]

I have to be a leader. Im a teacher

Althouigh when im not at work I usually just chill with my friends as a follower I dont like to argue or make decisions so ill just do whatever it takes to get something done.

 

[nikki]

see, you make a thread that at least APPEARS to have content and it's in the wrong forum. i'm not going to move it though i don't feel like getting bitched at.

But I like bitching at you! Please reconsider, you're ruining my fun!

i do whatever will benefit me the most in the long run.

I never would have figured you for the type.

 

[Dissonance]

I do whatever I want without worrying about about if I'm being original or somehow following somebody else.

Doesn't matter in the end!

 

[Feldschlacht IV]

I'd say most of all, my experience being the oldest of a lot of siblings, and having to raise them for a time considering the absence of my parents has conditioned me to be a leader. My personality is pretty 'alpha', and I have absolutely no problem in putting myself in charge in the absence of proper leadership or if said leadership is incompetent or something. I'm into taking care of people naturally, so I guess that's a type of leadership. However, I'm only 21 years old, so it's not like I have applied this in a business, military, or a high administrative scenario, though. I don't mind following someones lead, but I don't really like authority either.

 

[$t3v0]

I'm a bit of both. I'm a team player more than the two you stated, I love doing things with other people




















:blush:

 

[Anopob]

How does not having an opinion on the matter = even worse (from the first post)? What if it was something not so important, and you didn't care? Personally I would say what I believe in unless it wasn't a real argument and it was just a joke or something like that, in which case I would go in whatever side seems to benefit me the most as it doesn't really matter.

 

[LordEliwood0009]

Me, I follow whatever I believe in with the utmost determination.  Unfortunately, point something that is sharp or lethal at me and I suddenly become a follower.  So if you want me to go along with any thing other than harming a female, just do that. Anything relating to hurting the ladies I absolutely refuse to do and will actually stand up for myself and others.

 

[Dissonance]

So if you want me to go along with any thing other than harming a female, just do that. Anything relating to hurting the ladies I absolutely refuse to do and will actually stand up for myself and others.

lol sexism

 

[xxXBeatXxx]

ummm i'm a little bit of both i sometimes speak my mind...wich is why i'm sometimes called an asshole
and i dont really have any beliefs...unless your talking about god?
but even then i dont really like the cathloc church that much....if its god i say everyone should believe in him in their own way........but yeah if i dont wanna do it then i wont.....so yeah...

 

[Cruelty]

i'll pose an opposing point of view on shit even when i dont agree with it just to fuck with people. what does it make me if i bullshit people just to make waves instead of keeping things peaceful?

 

[Feldschlacht IV]

Depending on how you do it, that would make you an interesting devil's advocate or just childish.