Would you rather do the popular thing?
Or the right thing?
Popular v Right
This is an age-old conundrum.
For people and for business.
And especially for the young these days, it is huge.
Young people need our help with this.
Because young people see and feel the ripples of self-harm and suicide from the ostracised and the bullied around them every single day.
And because they want to avoid the same troubles, they choose popular over right.
Choice.
Being popular versus doing the right thing seems like a choice to young people.
And we need to change that.
By showing that doing the right thing is actually the popular thing as well.
Because people that matter (so not the bullies and the fools) really do respect and love people that stick to their convictions and be themselves.
It takes confidence, I know.
And confidence is transient for most.
So I know it’s hard.
Brands.
In my work at Always Wear Red, one of the reasons we are becoming more popular is because we are – wherever and whenever we can – doing what we know is right.
It’s the same for Patagonia.
And Hiut Jeans.
So I think that, because young people buy into these brands, they already see and know deep down that right can be popular too.
Let’s keep the message going.
Right is popular.
3 Comments
When I think about what’s “right” vs popular I tend to reflect upon my experience of how pop music influenced my beautiful ibiza and how in the face of “popularity” a couple of people stood ground and defied the tide that came about with commerciality.
Pepe Rosello of the legdendary Space (which promoted diversity and individualism in the electronic music scene), is in my mind one the most important people in modern history. He took his concept of partying in the daytime and took the white isle to another level. He maintained an underground connection with the music, which at the time wasn’t a popular concept, and brought about a shift which stayed with Space for 27yrs. A truly brilliant man.
Another person with a vision of rebellion is Dave Vincent of the former Manchester club Sankeys. This guy went (and continues to), go against the grain of polulisim. His nights in ibiza are now a thing of legend, with some of the biggest names in dance music crossing its threshold every week.
So when faced with what’s popular vs what you think is right, go with your intuition and your heart, because you never know you may just tip the balance and do something amazing.
Richard
I think, though we can chat about this when we meet, when you were in Ibiza – I was in Skegness.
And maybe Magaluf once.
I wasn’t very adventurous and certainly not as cool as that when I was younger.
I wish I had been. ‘Sounds amazing!
And it is great to hear about pioneering people. So thank you.
They don’t have maps do they? Pioneers.
And yet they change the world.
In fact, and it’s obvious when we think about it, if anyone is going to change the world – it’s pioneers.
They care not for being popular.
They’re bigger than that.
Amazing.
M.
Ha ha nowt wrong with Skegness Michael. See you next week.