People tend to make unreasonable decisions under the influence of others to impress others or prove that they are worthy. My friend decided to learn how to drive, and on his first day went on a highway and drove at a speed of over 55 mph, which is above the legal limit (“Maximum posted speed limit by state,” n.d.). Notably, he had no experience or a permit to be driving in the first place. Luckily, no one was harmed, and both my friend and his companion returned home safely. Typically, one would have to have some driving lessons and a test before receiving a learner’s permit and being able to drive on public roads. However, this friend wanted to learn how to drive and even said that he “could not wait that long.” Based on my knowledge of this situation, two factors of his thinking impacted his decision. Firstly, his older brother received a license, and I think that my friend was jealous and wanted to prove that he could drive as well. However, this process takes a lot of time, effort, and money, which he was not willing to spend. Instead, he asked his other friend, who had a car and a license, to teach him the basics. As they were driving, they decided to test out the car’s limits and went on a highway, despite it being highly irresponsible and illegal. Here, the second factor played a role because when I asked my friend why he did it, he responded that “it was not dangerous at all.” Therefore, he did not see an issue with him being an inexperienced driver and speeding, which affected his decision. Overall, two factors played a role in my friend’s choice, his willingness to impress his brother and his inability to see the potential consequences of his actions.
Reference
Maximum posted speed limit by state. (n.d.). Web.