YOUTH’S TOUGH CHALLENGE ---DEFYING NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE

by: Norberto Betita

Years ago I read a story in a back issue of a New Era Magazine of September 1987 in the Church Library where a Seminary Teacher, Jack S. Marshall, wrote an article entitled, “Calling a Square a Square.” He told of an experiment which he did to his seminary students to show how powerful peer pressure can be. On the chalk board he drew a star, a circle, an oval and a square. He told his students that for the next fifty minutes the objects on the board were to be identified as a star, a circle, an oval, and a triangle, although the square was obviously a square. It was to be called as triangle and nothing else. They need to convince an unsuspecting visitor that the square was actually a triangle. Six seats were set in front of the classroom and five of the stars of the senior class were allowed to sit leaving one of the seats vacant. A freshman student was then invited into the classroom, which recognized himself then as among the elite of the high school. He felt some pride that he was among the who’s who of the school. He was told that his role was just to identify the objects drawn on the chalkboard.

Then the experiment commenced. One of the stars was called to identify the objects, and right away said, “Star, circle, oval and triangle.” The freshman laughed in surprise. Then the remaining four elites were called and everybody identified the square as a triangle.

The responsibility now fell on the freshman to identify the objects. While indentifying each drawing his voice grew weaker, shakier and less confident; “Star...circle...oval...” then silence. He looked at the audience. Then quietly he spoke, “triangle.” The experiment of the Seminary teacher worked.

Many years after as a Seminary teacher myself I tried to use the same kind of experiment on my students. But this time I reversed the idea and objective. Instead of proving the persuasive power of negative peer pressure on the youth, I desired to prove that the youth has the power to defy or confront any kind of negative peer pressures.  

I applied the same experiment procedure by drawing a star, a circle, an oval and a square. I told my students that during the whole time of the class the objects are to be identified as a star, a circle, an oval and a triangle. As expected some objected that the last was a square and not a triangle. But I reminded them that only for that particular day and class time that it should be called a triangle even if it is obviously a square. Our class is a combination of first year to fourth year high school students. For such purpose I choose five from various high school levels, those who are weaker and not so active students to sit in front of the class.

I purposely gave an assignment to one of the top students in our seminary class for her to be late in class as to take the role of the unsuspecting visitor. This young woman is a consistent honor student, a junior in high school, a very diligent seminary student, a very active member of the young women organization, and a consistent recipient of certificates for young women Personal Progress. Her widowed mother remarried and worked in an island, but still very supportive of her.

While waiting for the unsuspecting visitor we proceeded with the discussion of our seminary lessons until she came and gave me what I have for her as an errand. I have her sat in front together with the five others and apprised that her role was just to identify the objects drawn on the chalkboard.

To conceal my experimentation from her I proceeded with the discussions. After a while I started calling each one of the five to identify the objects. First was of a lower level and said, “Star, circle, oval...” and perhaps forgetting the instruction scratch his head then said “triangle.” The second was a fourth year student and with confidence identified the objects, “star, circle, oval, and triangle.” The young woman seemed not to be surprised at the responses of the two. We continued until all the remaining three had identified the objects as star, circle, oval and triangle.

When it was her turn to identify the objects she straightway said, “Star, circle, oval, square.”

In chorus the students shouted, “You’re wrong. Our teacher told us that during the class time the square should be called a triangle and you called it a square.”

Then with kind of a slight reproof or rebuke she told her classmates, “Even if I was late and no matter what the instruction, and how each of you identify the object it doesn’t change its form. It is a square, a square, a square.”

I pacified the class and disclosed to them about the experiment restating the original story of “Calling a Square a Square.” I expressed gratitude having proven to them that no matter how strong the pressure of our friends and classmates we each have the capacity and power to resist and oppose the same if we so desire.

Many years had passed since and the young woman who played the role of the unsuspecting visitor who called a “Square a Square” had later graduated with honors from high school, received her young womanhood medallion, and graduated Cum Laude from college. She married in the Temple with a returned missionary, and has a respectable employment. The rest of my students also served missions, but others became gullible victims of peer pressures and are nowhere to be found.  

Peer pressures come in many forms. It is very strong in vices such as cigarette smoking and wine; sexual perversion and promiscuity; pornography of many forms; gambling and internet gaming; drug addiction and many other appearances of evil common in the modern world. And it is very sad to note that many of the rising generation who are to be the future of the world, the expected participants in the constant renewal of leadership had become vulnerable to these alluring deadly vices of moral caricature.  If our youth are not on guard they will become easy prey to the glamorous deception of Satan.

However, I found that regular applications of Church programs---Seminary and Institute, weekly family home evening, daily family scripture study, daily family prayer, education and continued family support and motivation are in reality the best antidote against moral degeneracy.  All negative peer pressures can be melted away by the defying and wrestling power of truth and righteousness, as in the case of that young woman in our Seminary class who stood with courage to call a “Square a Square.”

When my son was in high school most of his classmates and close friends had already started smoking and drinking wine, but he chose not to. During semestral vacations in college he would be invited by his friends for lunch or dinner, but he never bond with the group unless one should promise not to drink liquor. He instead became an exemplar of sobriety and solemnity among his peers.  He was respected more by his colleagues. While his friends and classmates were trailing the road to academic achievements, he tracked the better way by serving a two-year full time mission in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. When his friends and classmates were already enjoying the fruits of their academic achievements, he married in the Temple, raised a family of his own, worked, served God and His people, and go back to college. Like all other youths of his time he became vulnerable and subject to the top and heightened challenges of youthful life. Yet with courage strong and values high he fought and wrestled and eventually defied the negative peer pressures of his young life and grew into a productive and righteous manhood.