Imagine a classroom. The teacher asks Tom a question. He says the answer is ‘A’. She turns to Bill and asks him the same question. Bill knows the answer is ‘B’ but he says ‘A’. We’ve all encountered this phenomenon. It is because of this phenomenon that we’ve given wrong answers, smoked cigarettes and during the 80’s, we even pretended that bell bottoms were cool. This phenomenon is known as ‘peer pressure.’ Studies have shown that 65% of us will give the wrong answer just because we heard someone else say it. When we hear ‘peer-pressure’, we automatically think of groups of intimidating teenagers. The reality is not always this obvious.

Peer-pressure is just an offshoot of the power of suggestion. There isn’t always an intimidating teenager involved. Women feel the need to go out and buy a new dress for a party; simply because they know, the other women in attendance will be well dressed. Men feel the need to have the corner office, with the windows, simply because all the successful guys have them.

The power of suggestion has been well documented. Those who know how to use it are some of the most successful people on the planet. To use this power you require patience, restraint and keen observation. For the most part it’s safer to stay away from this technique, at the same time, it’s important that we learn how to protect ourselves from it. The next time you find yourself taking an action, or craving an object, stop yourself and check to see if your own thoughts are guiding you. Make sure you don’t do something because you heard, someone else had done it. If you are asked, ‘What color is the night sky?’ Don’t say ‘black’, because everyone says ‘black’. Look and see. Sometimes the night is navy blue.