Strongest and Weakest

I think my introductory paragraph would have to be the weakest one from my essay because I didn't go into depth about the main points so that the reader would understand where I was going with my essay.

           In Doris Lessing's article, Group Minds, she informs people what is wrong with groups changing your opinion, and the idea that we do not use our information. Some of the consequences of group minds is feeling ashamed, being a follower vs. being a leader, feeling vulnerable to pressure, going in with the majority of the group, and just simply not being an individual. What causes this is the lack of awareness, fear of being isolated, and the pressure of giving in. Although I disagree with much that Lessing says, I fully endorse her final conclusion that we do not give in to the obedience mechanism of the group, regardless of what we believed was right or wrong.

My strongest paragraph would be one of how Martin Luther King Jr. changed our society. I think this is my strongest because I hit all the main points with evidence and added in a good quote.

            Martin Luther King Jr. made a huge impact on our society. With out his speech, we would be going through a lot of segregation. A lot of African Americans suffered through cruel judgements and affected where they could be at. For example, having colored skin could have you sitting in the back of the bus and using a different washroom from the rest. They were treated with no sympathy whatsoever, but Martin Luther King Jr. changed it all. For those who couldn't stand up for what they believe and just agreed upon what everyone said about them, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." King was willingly risking everything he was -- a husband, a leader, a preacher, a brother, a black man to free the American soul.

Thesis Draft

Although I disagree with much that Lessing says, I fully endorse her final conclusion that we do give in to the obedience mechanism of the group, regardless of what we believed was right or wrong.

Free-write on “Group Think” and “Group Minds”

The benefits of following the opinions and social norms of a majority group would make you stand out, have power when you never did. It gives you opportunities you could have never got when you were an outcast. But once you start following a trend or start hanging out with certain people, you develop a reputation.

The benefits of following your own heart and mind even if that might be going against groups that govern our lives would be having "I did the right thing" feeling even if that kicked you out of the loop. Just being true to yourself, nothing is better than saying and knowing what is right.

The consequences of maintaining your individual self would cause you to feel left out, second guess yourself if the choice you made was the right thing to do. Your family or friends would look at you a different way. Just being the only dissident person can make you lose respect for most people even if you are right.