It used to be a popular jingle in some business advertisements "If you cannot beat them, join them."
In business, that is strategy. For an individual, it is often a disguised trio of compromise, surrender, or defection.
I remember as a school student, it seemed abnormal to be alone. You needed to belong to a group to be popular and known.
On the surface it looked like partnership. For a young mind, it sounded like teamwork. In reality, it became an excuse to stop fighting what is wrong and start blending in with it because others are doing it.
I see the same thing with some young people today. Some will do unimaginable things just to afford trending clothes, gadgets, or lifestyles in order to feel appreciated by their peers. If they do not have it, they feel left behind and like they do not belong. It boosts "a just go along" attitude. As long as everyone is doing it, it must be right. The means or method does not matter, just get along. But that’s more misleading.
How this belief harms society:
It makes wrong look real and true; when everyone does it, it starts to look right. This is how exam malpractice, fake business reports, and corruption keep increasing. Creativity and mental prowess decline because honesty and integrity feel optional when the offer is juicy, quick, and flashy.
It corrodes personal values and standards; Once you join them, you become like them. Everything you criticized becomes who you are.
It drives away peace and increases fear: Especially if it was a bad association or business deal, it can steal your sleep and increase anxiety. You are constantly on the run.
How I protect younger people around me
I remind them that being different is special, and that watching their lifestyle choices, friends and associations matters more than chasing acceptance through compromise or subjection. If they ever feel uncomfortable in any company, they should withdraw and try other alternatives.
I also remind them that hard work pays, and I point to people who built honestly from nothing. Small, honest wins give lasting happiness and satisfaction.
The other side of the coin
I also believe that if we never enter a system, where’s the chance to invoke change? Sometimes the only way to prove that genuinity and brotherhood can exist in a corrupt place is to be there and live it. The issue isn’t about being unable to beat them. It’s about asking: can you enter without becoming what you entered?
Here is my stand:
When the pressure to indulge or compromise gets intense, I remind myself to be content with honest money and the company of people with similar or superior principles.
I choose to resist the pressure to conform.
Not everyone who goes along to get along leaves with a happy ending. And I do not want to lose myself just to belong. In such instances, walking away becomes necessary than yielding to oppression.
The right association boosts good morals with improved productivity and self-image
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Image is mine