We all have certain beliefs and moral values that we cherish, rights and wrongs that we recognize, and it is our duty to stand up for these things In life. There are often situations where these ethical values of ours are tested, such as a workplace that is being racist, or a colleague that is being discriminated against, but no matter what happens we should always stand up for what we believe is right. At times this can lead you to stand up against your boss, friends, and sometimes even family, but in the end, its all worth it because at no expense should our morals and beliefs be compromised or ignored. They are the factors that shape who we are as a person, and when we see situations where our beliefs or morals are being acted against, we should take a stand. Our morals and beliefs define who we are and when we don’t stand up for them, it defeats our purpose in life as we are being untrue with ourselves.

http://soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/standing-your-beliefs-group-opposition-what-changes-your-world

A few years ago, in grade eight there was an experience for me in which I had to stand up for my beliefs. I had this group of friends that I had met in grade six, which was the first year I joined this school. There were only five of us but in two years all of us had become close friends. We truly cared for each other and we believed that we would be good friends for a while, maybe even forever. As we got into grade eight, the rule in our school that we could not go off campus was lifted, and so at lunch, we were able to go to the places around our school such as Seven Eleven or Pizza Hut. For the first month of the school year, everything was fine, we would often go to Seven Eleven and buy food or drinks for each other. Then this one day, none of us brought any money, one of my friends suggested we still go to Seven Eleven just for fun. As we all got there, my friends and I were talking and the same friend that suggested for us to come to Seven Eleven, suggested that we should just steal. Right away, all my other friends agreed. Then they all looked at me to also approve but instead, I shook my head in disagreement. Stealing is something that I have always been morally against, I truly believe stealing is wrong and that one should be honest by buying their own stuff. They all asked me why I disagreed and I explained to them that it is wrong, but they all persisted that it didn’t matter. After arguing for a few minutes I finally exclaimed that if they did steal from there, I would stop talking to them. I still don’t know if they didn’t take me seriously or just didn’t care, but the four of them still went inside and came back out with pockets full of candy. Afterward, I completely ditched my friends, I stopped talking to them and started hanging out with a completely different group of people, those friends often tried to contact me and get me to hang out with them, but I ignored them because at this point I had realized that they were bad company.

 We can never be afraid to stand up for what is right, no matter what others may say. And sometimes, if that means taking a lonely road, if what we are standing for is true, then perhaps moonlight or sunshine will light our way and make it less lonely.

Pramila Jayapal

My anecdote shows that one must always stand up for what is right, even if it means ditching your best friends. This quote is also explaining a similar message, conveying that you should always stand up for your beliefs even if you are alone. Furthermore, it states that if whatever we are standing up for is true to ourselves then it won’t be as lonely as it seems. Nevertheless, standing up against the wrongs of others is essential, because when one person stands up, then often several others are motivated to stand up, creating a change towards something more ethical. Not only that, living a life in which you conform to the unethical actions of others, is a life not worth living. The act of always standing up for what you believe in may be defined as courage or just plain stupidity, but even If it is truly considered stupid, then maybe we all should be stupid.