why can’t we ever escape the social pressures of life. from youth to old age – social pressures exist. they don’t change and they don’t go away. there is always a constant reminder of social standing, social groups, social inclusion, social exclusion, social ups, social downs – everywhere we go and everywhere we look – social pressures are occurring. you can’t escape these things – good or bad – unless you become a hermit and leave the social scene. other than that – you have to clear your mind, you have to not let these trivial things affect you. yes, you still need to be social but you can move past any grief that social pressures cause. this is a battle in your mind. you have to convince yourself that these things don’t matter in the grand scheme of life. you have to be happy with the choices you make. you have to understand that if you have less desire to be social, then less social activity will come your way – and vice versa. also, if you decide to stand against social pressure, then keep that stance – don’t back track or waiver. life is about choices and choosing which choices are most important to keep your life going the way you want it to go. if you have to spend more time working, if you want to spend more time with your family, if you don’t feel like doing the extra work to gain new friends – then do all of these things to make the life you want to live. forget about what others are doing, forget about what others are saying – these things do not matter at all. what matters is living with your mind free of these trivial issues – which are not even issues at all – they are roadblocks put up in your own mind – preying on your own insecurities – making you feel bad – about really nothing at all.