Have you ever given in to pressure? Like when a friend begs to borrow something you don’t want to give up or to do something your parents say is off limits? Chances are you probably have given into pressure at sometime in your life.

How did it feel to give into pressure? If you did something you wish you hadn’t, then most likely you didn’t feel too good about it. You might have felt . . .

• sad
• anxious
• guilty
• like a wimp or pushover
• disappointed in yourself

Everyone gives in to pressure at one time or another, but why do people sometimes do things that they really don’t want to do? Here are a few reasons. They . . .

• are afraid of being rejected by others
• want to be liked and don’t want to lose a friend
• want to appear grown up
• don’t want to be made fun of
• don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings
• aren’t sure of what they really want
• don’t know how to get out of the situation

When you face pressure you can stand your ground. Once you've checked out the rest of this section, be sure to visit The Right to Resist.