Have you ever been in a situation where you witnessed something wrong, but didn’t say anything? Maybe in school, you saw someone being bullied but you didn’t speak up. Or maybe at a restaurant, someone was treating a waiter poorly. Or perhaps the person in front of you at the grocery store was speaking to the checkout lady rudely.
Coined by Suzy Kassem in her collection of works: Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem. This quote speaks to how strong our need to fit in is.
As human beings, it’s our tendency to seek acceptance and avoid rejection. After all, if our ancestors were rejected by their tribe, it meant death. We relied on one another and on our community to survive, and without the support of our tribe, we were weak against the forces of nature, often leading to death.
Because our primal tendency is to seek acceptance, we often go against our personal beliefs and values in an attempt to avoid rejection and loneliness. This creates an inner conflict within ourselves. Thus, standing up for what is right, especially if it means standing alone, feels extremely uncomfortable.
Why Should You Stand Up For What Is Right?
1. It builds respect. It’s not easy to stand up for what is right. But deep down, we all know that it is the higher path. When you stand up for what is right, even if it means taking the harder route, you gain respect for yourself and from others. Many people know what is right, but they fear rejection, don’t have the confidence, or aren’t courageous enough to take the right action. When they see you do the difficult thing, not only will they respect you even more, but they will also be inspired to stand up for what is right themselves.
2. It builds confidence. Even if no one else sees you stand up for what is right, when you stand up for what you believe in rather than doing what is convenient, you show yourself that you are a strong, good, and independent person. This simple decision recreates the image you have of yourself and builds your confidence.
3. It helps you discover who you are. Standing up for what is right, especially when it means being alone, teaches you about what you would do in hardship. It’s easy to think you might take the higher road or always do good, but when it comes down to it, you never know how you will act in a difficult situation.
Standing alone can be scary and uncomfortable. So how can you release the fear of standing alone?
1. Let go of your fears of rejection. Even though it feels like people might judge you, remember that they are more concerned with what’s going on in their life. We often exaggerate situations in our mind, and think everyone is talking about us, judging us, or mocking us, when in reality, no one really cares (in a good way)! So, relax, and just do YOU.
2. Keep doing it. The more you do something, the easier it gets. And the more you stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult, the easier and less scary it gets! Soon enough, you won’t think about it twice! And as a bonus, you will be building your confidence along the way.
3. Trust in good. Trust that good always wins, and by standing up for what is right, you will get back that good. The more you can trust in the knowing that the good will come back to you, the more you will see evidence of it in your life! After all, this is the foundation of the law of attraction!
