Any influence is immoral (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Belonging to a social group, communication, support, respect and recognition are natural needs for every person. We are alone much less often than when surrounded by other people. Naturally, the social circle has a certain influence on us. It can be both positive and negative.

Sometimes we don't even notice how some people brazenly manipulate us to achieve their goals, impose certain thoughts and ideas. When we realize that we have committed a certain action against our will, there is an unpleasant feeling of inability to resist someone else's influence, lack of freedom of thought and independence. Teenagers and people with an undeveloped personality are particularly susceptible to influence and manipulation. An example is the young and naive Dorian Gray, who came under the verbal influence of Lord Henry. At the beginning of the story, Dorian was like a white sheet of paper and we will never know how his fate would have turned out without the intervention of this brilliant manipulator.

As I mentioned above, the influence can be both positive and negative, but why then is it immoral in any case? When you give others the right to decide what to do and how to think, it blocks your development, and in the long run leads to failures and going in circles. Decision–making is a property of an adult. And if you give someone this right, appoint someone as your authority and influencer, you will never become a developed personality. Taking responsibility and becoming an adult does not mean that you do not need to ask advice from people with more experience, but after you learn other opinions, you still need to make your own decision.

We cannot completely isolate ourselves from society and act only as we want, but we can make sure that no one can have power over our lives. We should not allow other people to impose their ideas and thoughts and manipulate us, otherwise we will have to sacrifice our development, freedom and contentment with life.

y the way, we must remember that we should also not try to impose our advice and opinion on our friends, relatives and just others, because by doing so we can intrude in the development of their personality and destiny.