As people we experience many different situations that impact our lives in one way or another. Think of a situation that required someone to make a decision. Now think about all the factors that came into play when that person made the final decision. For example, you go to the store and choose a t-shirt from ten other t-shirts to purchase. Why? Were there friends there cheering that the shirt looked great? Did an adult tell you that the t-shirt was the most appropriate one to wear? Maybe even a store clerk told you that the shirt was on sale. Every choice we can make in life comes with certain pressures. Every situation has peer, situational, or authority pressure. If we know these pressures exist, then why are we sensitive to them? Why do we let choices like smoking cigarettes be influenced by these pressures? The reason people smoke is due to many different reasons, including peer, situational, and authority pressure. When people are out in bars or clubs it is not uncommon for them to drink. While these people drink, they will also smoke. However, these people do not smoke when they are not drinking. If a person smokes just because he drinks, it is situational pressure. The article “What Makes Good People Do Bad Things?” supports situational pressures. According to Philip G. Zimbardo, a retired psychology professor at Stanford University and former president of the APA, "I argue that situational forces dominate most of us at various times in our lives." It's not hard to understand why people only smoke when they drink. The Stanford Prison Experiment Confirms This Idea At the beginning of the experiment, Guard A said, "Since I'm a p... half of paper...". ... Panarchia.org Web. 20 January. 2011..Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Writing and Reading in the Curriculum New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. Print.Dittmann, Melissa (APA).Web. February 14, 2011. .Dittmann, Melissa “What Drives Good People to Do Bad Things?” Psychological Association (APA). Web. 14 February 2011. Milgram, Stanley. "The Perils of Obedience". Web. 14 February 2011. Sartwell, Crispin. "Genocide, You and Me". Network. February 15.2011. .