Take A Stand

by taylorevance@gmail.com | April 10, 2018 6:54 am

Moral strength is something that is hard to come by when we need it the most. To be one of the people to take a stand is the thing that keeps us up at night when we neglect to use it. Moral strength and standing up for what you believe in can also be the thing that makes you who you are. It can turn you into an amazing person.

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Stand Up For What You Believe In

If you’re in a position where you need to stand up for what is right, you may feel hesitant to speak up. You’re not alone. Many online activists are shunned, attacked, and ridiculed. Famous celebrities who marched for women’s rights are constantly abused on social media for standing up for what they believe in.

Be Ready To Fight

I am not saying that you go in guns blazing, but know that for every issue there are a million-and-one opinions of what is right. You will likely hear all of them when advocating for your beliefs. That doesn’t make them any less right. As long as you enter the situation, expecting not everyone will agree with you, you’ll be ok.

Assuming that your opinion will be met with sunshine and rainbows by everyone you meet will set you up for a rude awakening. Get acquainted with the other side, what are their views on the subject? The more you know about the other side of the issue the better you will advocate for your cause.

If you’re starting to second-guess if you should stand up for what you believe in, you may succumb to groupthink.

Be Aware of Groupthink

The hardest obstacles to standing up for the right thing and having moral courage is groupthink. This term describes when critical thinking no longer has value and a consensus among the group is priority.

Groupthink is responsible for elements in our society like the bystander effect and ethical fading. Both of these sociological occurrences happen when the pressure to conform to the group is high, when personal safety is a priority, and when ethical components of a project are shifted from view. If you begin a project with thoughts of moral outrage, but then slowly accept it, you may suffer from groupthink.

Once you’ve overcome the groupthink mentality, there are great benefits to standing up for what you believe in.

Know Thyself

While it may seem cheesy, one of the best parts about standing up for what you believe in is that you get to know who you really are. Your truest self comes to the surface when you allow it to advocate for your core belief systems.

Sheer Balance notes that there are 5 distinct character building advantages to standing up for what you believe in.

1. It helps you become independent.
2. You build integrity.
3. Develop your self-respect.
4. Gain a strong sense of self.
5. Build your self-confidence.

All of this character building will start to show when you commit to a cause and stick with it.

You become more independent because you must separate yourself from those in the groupthink herd. You also may find that you are the loudest voice for your cause, which can be a lonely place. This forces yourself to become independent.

Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. When you advocate for your beliefs, even against popular opinion, you practice the ultimate form of integrity.

You cannot respect yourself if you are constantly acting against your moral compass. Standing up for what you believe in allows you to live a life guided by your moral compass. It is easy to respect someone who lives that way.

Standing up for what’s right teaches you not to bow to other people’s opinions. Learning that you are free to hold your own beliefs helps you build your sense of self.

Finally, the more you practice advocating for yourself and those around you the more confident you will become. Gaining self-confidence from doing the right thing is a gift that no one should give up.

Ultimately, it is you who must stand up for your beliefs. It may be hard, but you won’t be alone. When you come through the other side, you will be a better person for it.

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