Page 172 - The Power to Change Anything

Harness Peer Pressure 161

only after opinion leaders take previously undiscussable topics
and interject them into public discourse.
But there’s more. Still other problems are so profound that
they won’t vanish, even if everyone talks openly and new
norms are formed. For instance, some personal changes are so
significant that asking people to embrace many new behaviors
requires that you shape them into entirely new people; this
level of transformation calls for the work of an entire village.
You have to draw on the social support of virtually everyone.
And when it comes to creating an entire village, Dr. Silbert
once again leads the way.
It’s semester break at Delancey Street. All 500 residents in
the San Francisco location have gathered in the family room
where they quietly jostle and joke with one another. There’s
an air of excitement. After all, it’s graduation day. This means
that some of the residents are about to advance to more respon-
sible positions. Others will move to a new job, and some will
earn their GED. Even greenies may be ready to graduate from
maintenance, where the requirements are pretty basic. But the
accomplishment will be no less celebrated than the person who
is about to receive a college degree—as a number will.
So here the residents sit, waiting for graduation to begin.
Those who haven’t been through the ceremony before look ter-
ribly uncomfortable. They know they will be singled out in
front of 499 of their peers, and they have no clue how to deal
with the moment. Then before you know it, their name is
called. They stand up and are told that they have graduated
from maintenance. They have done good work and are now
assigned to food services. Congratulations!
All of a sudden new residents hear a sound that has never
before been directed at them. They stumble forward to be
acknowledged as they experience the most pleasurable wave of
discomfort they’ve ever felt. Everyone is clapping for them.
“It’s the most wonderful time,” says Silbert. “They’re cry-
ing. Huge clapping. You’ll see this huge guy who doesn’t know