Imagine living in a world where you have no control over who you are, what you can and can ‘t do, what job you work at and where you live; even your name is assigned to you. Somebody controls every living aspect of your life, even your thoughts! What a horrible place this world would be to live in.

Just think, we actually face these issues in our own lives. You are probably thinking, no we don’t! I am free to live as I choose, who I am , what I do, and where I go. I am free to do as I please. But really are you? Just think, everyday someone is pressured to having that first cigarette, their first drink or even their first try at drugs. The list is endless…peer pressure is everywhere!

Just saying no is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you are trying to fit in. You want to say no, you want to ask them are you crazy? You even want to walk away and say you are fools? But the pressure of everyone staring at you, waiting to hear the answer they want, you even hear your heart pounding in your chest. It is all so overwhelming that you just want to give in. You want to be apart of this crowd, you want to be accepted by the other person applying the pressure to you, you want them to know that you are cool.

After reading the book Anthem, it really put into light what choices we can make on our own. We are able to think free, live free and make our own decisions. We live in a world where peer pressure is one of the hardest things we have to overcome, to say no to. It happens everyday to someone, whether it is you or me or someone we may not even know.

Well, just like Equality 7-2521 in the book Anthem, he shows you that you don’t have to listen to what others say, you don’t have to be pressured to think like them, feel like them and do what they want you to do. You have choices, you have your own thoughts, and free will. By living your own life and by your values, thoughts and free will you are happier with who you are. You have the right to say no, you have the right to fight for who you are and most importantly you have the right to walk away with your head held high.

I think that Equality 7-2521 shows us that we are happier with who we are and the choices that we make on our own, rather than living by the choices others make for us. The choices that others make for us, bring us down, they limit us, they show others that we value what they say rather than valuing our own selves.

In conclusion, I think that every teenager should read the book Anthem by Ayn Rand. It shows them a different perspective on why you should make your own decisions, and that what you do, can make a world of difference in who you are and where your life goes. This is your life, these are your decisions, and they are something that you have to live with the rest of your life!