Growing up, parents try to implement certain values in their children. One good lesson a parent always gives their child is to be themselves, regardless of if you are accepted or not. That is to say, it is more important to be true to yourself than to be accepted for something you aren't.
This thought occurred to me when I was talking to my little sister about her college applications. I started thinking about how important being accepted truly is in our society. Even from a young age, you have to try out to be on sports team. Then when you are a little older, you have to request entrance to certain clubs and organizations. Then when you are older than that, you have to hope to God that the college of your dreams accepts you into their program. The list goes on and on...
There are many important parts of life that you have to be accepted into, there is no other way around it. You can't grow and gain new experiences if you aren't accepted into these things, and I think this fact sheds light on the reason why so many people long for acceptance in every aspect of their lives. Because, when viewed from this standpoint, society links acceptance with success.
