* [Special] The actions & emotions of an individual are dependent on that of their friends. Discuss

Friends form the social network of an individual. They are the ones that an individual turns to for leisure and also during trying times or in times of need. A friend lends a listening ear to that person in hopes that he or she will get past that adversity. The closeness between an individual and his/her friends depend on the level of bonding, trust and understanding between them. When an individual is emotionally connected to the friends around them, he/she can get affected by their actions or feelings that they portray. However, other factors like studies may also cause a change in emotions and actions of an individual. Therefore, although the feelings and actions displayed by friends does play a part in altering that of an individual, external factors are not to be ruled out as well.

Examples can be taken from the blog "E=MO" by S.S. McEmo.

Apart from family, one usually leans on close friends when they are going through problems or when they seek entertaintment. This intensifies the bond and ironically, it could lead to problems between them as close friends are more likely to have differences and bones to pick than casual friends as close friends share emotional attachments. When a close friend behaves or feels a certain way, it could cast a similar effect on that individual. An example is Hans Basil from "E=MO". Hans came from a relatively dysfunctional family with no solid emotional connection with most of his family members. As such he has taken to friends as a source of comfort and belonging. His constant fraternizing with his friends is evidence of his close bonds with them and his perpetual emotional instability is a product of the own emotional battles and behaviours portrayed by his friends. When John Bow shifted places and displayed an a rare indifference to Hans, the latter became emotionally battered and looked lost of joy. Whenever any of his friends were going through tough times and behaved differently, Hans would also involve himself with them and try to solve it, albeit feeling the same emotions as them. Another example is Nick Ivans. Unlike Hans, Nick's family was more functional and stable, but Nick was similar to Hans in the fact that he would get affected by his friends' actions. He hangs out with Hans and John almost daily, and his reactions to a fight or argument that occured with either were evident of him being affected. On many occasions, he had triffling squabbles with Hans, and Hans attitude would lead to Nick providing some of his. He could not shake off the vibes given by Hans or others and his resultant unhapiness is him being hit by his friends' actions.

Although friends are an important aspect of one's life, their actions and emotions are not the sole determinant of one's own. Instead, other factors like studies could stimulate such behavioural and emotional fluctuations. Sue Anne's background is briefly described in the blog, as is her family, but from what we can infer, she is an independent individual who does not let challenges in her life tear her down. While she respects her friends and helps out in their problems, she does not make them her own and refrains from being emotionally attacked and broken. However, it is her studies that causes her feelings to change, the stress that results from studying for tests an emotional determinant. An example could be seen when she was was vastly affected by her Economic and English tests, and resorted to rare displays of tantrums and verbal volleys. Diane Shine is another character that is not affected by the actions and emotions of her friends, but by that of her academics. She takes it upon herself to be on the inside of all her friends' lives, and like Sue, she helps her friends whenever possible and does not get tied to the problems. Diane's constant cheerful and optimistic nature is testament to that, and her moods are only altered negatively whenever she feels the pressure of an upcoming test, and this was obvious when she could not overcome the same Economic test Sue sat for.

Therefore, although the actions and feelings of one's social network does influence his/her very own actions and emotions, other factors like studies also play a part in determining one's behaviour and how they feel.