Even surrounding yourself with like-minded people is not a guaranteed way to avoid peer pressure, and it can be harmful in the long run. It sounds odd, but being an individual is the best defence against negative peer pressure. Only <u>you</u> can define negative peer pressure, and only you are responsible for not falling victim to it. The word avoid is actually bad in this sense. Don't try to <u>avoid</u> negative peer pressure. In most cases, people will respect your decisions. While peer pressure can be difficult to resist, it is almost never impossible.
Rather than trying to avoid peer pressure by isolating yourself, make an effort to spend time with those you enjoy spending time with. Even if they aren't completely like-minded, they will almost always respect what you choose to do.
