Cultural Change In Adam Hadhazy's Tris

individuals, such as Martin Luther King Jr., who challenged the status quo of white supremacy, and they were able to eventually consummate equal rights for African Americans. In music, new styles have evolved from a constant cycle of fresh artists creating a different sound that others follow until someone else creates something unique. The idea can also be found in fictional stories such as Divergent. The main character, Tris, breaks the confines of society by challenging its social organization which triggers a revolution. All these and more display how cultural change is omnipresent, but the means by which the change is evoked is indistinguishable. All change is seen as a far-out idea, but society eventually admits it into its popular culture …show more content…
What makes someone willing to challenge societal preferences and lead a movement promoting change? What makes someone willing to do nothing but follow what others have done before them? It boils down to both genetics and given personalities. Some can only find personal comfort by being socially accepted making them followers. On the other hand, the outliers, those who question the current culture, find their comfort in knowing they are a part of humanity, and that they have the power to elicit societal betterment. Adam Hadhazy writes about the differences in leaders and followers in his article, “Life’s Extremes: Leaders vs. Followers”. He references work done by psychologist Richard D. Arvey. In his research, Arvey found that, “‘Genes affect your chemistry, your brain and your physiology” (Hadhazy). He also said, “‘Think of [genes] as working through personality, intelligence, cognitive skills and also some physical characteristics. All of those are involved and correlated with who becomes a leader’” (Hadhazy). But it is not only these genetic characteristics that make someone fit to be a leader. In fact, it is