Breaking Social Norms

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Andrew Nunley Sociology Dr. Simmons 12 October, 2013 Breaking the Social Norm “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.). I did not know the importance of this quote until I had to break the social norm of communication. In my research project, I tested the reaction of my family, my girlfriend, and my friends by not giving them any sign of communication. This broke up good friendships, it sent my relationship on a downward slope, and my family stopped texting (well that is a positive thing). By breaking this social norm of responding when being talked to, not only showed me who my true friends were, but it also put me in a lot of bad predicaments. In the morning, I always tell my friend, Brianna, “Good Morning! How was your night?” But on Thursday, I just walked straight pass her without saying anything. She was very upset that I did not speak to her at all. Matter of fact she knocked my bread out of my hand because I was not answering any of her questions. She honestly tried everything in her will to make me talk to her or even give her a nod. This was the only outrageous reaction that I received from any of my friends. All my other friends were just trying to make me laugh and were taking stuff from me so that I can react to them. They even thought that I was high and gone off of a top notch drug. Some even asked if I could supply them with some of the “products”. In a speech Dr. King quoted, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” The biggest problem I had out of my friends that Thursday though, was not saying anything to one of them about bullying and talking down on this guy that we did not even know. I felt like I was the one bullying him because I did not say or do anything about it. I just

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