His peers also cause him to steal pears from an orchard. They do not steal the pears because they need them, but because they simply want to steal something. Saint Augustine later remarks that he would not have done it had he been alone. It is being with his peers that allows him to go through with such an act. Because he is in the group he is affected by the mob mentality where he is not thinking about his actions as an individual but the actions of the group as a whole. Saint Augustine’s peers are the primary reason for his misbehavior. If he had been surrounded by peers that followed rules and judged one another not on the things they have done wrong but the good things they have done, then he might not have performed as many sinful acts. Saint Augustine would still be motivated to do them by other internal and external factors, but without that one large external factor might not have performed them, or as many of them. He states that he would not
His peers also cause him to steal pears from an orchard. They do not steal the pears because they need them, but because they simply want to steal something. Saint Augustine later remarks that he would not have done it had he been alone. It is being with his peers that allows him to go through with such an act. Because he is in the group he is affected by the mob mentality where he is not thinking about his actions as an individual but the actions of the group as a whole. Saint Augustine’s peers are the primary reason for his misbehavior. If he had been surrounded by peers that followed rules and judged one another not on the things they have done wrong but the good things they have done, then he might not have performed as many sinful acts. Saint Augustine would still be motivated to do them by other internal and external factors, but without that one large external factor might not have performed them, or as many of them. He states that he would not