The general argument presented by Twain is that people do not have entirely original opinions or ideas. He breaks down his argument using several premises and supporting them with examples and easy-to-follow reasoning. If the public were convinced by his reasoning, the most obvious consequence would simply be that we would be more aware of the things and changes happening around us. The general public, or those who read and agreed with the essay, would begin to wonder or analyze why such and such became popular. People would be more attentive to decisions made unconsciously and would question them. The first premise presented by Twain is that human nature is to conform. It combines yet another premise with the first: self-approval leads to conformity. “A novelty in the costume appears – the flared skirt with hoops, for example – and passers-by are shocked, as is their irreverent laughter. Six months later, everyone is reconciled; the fashion is: “The Smiths like the new piece; the Joneses go to him and copy Smith's verdict. As in the previous examples, each premise can be seen in the example. Although this essay was written a century ago, the premises and argument remain valid. If this argument were accepted and constantly considered, we would live in a more self-aware society. If the essay were to be analyzed in, say, high schools or even middle schools, we would have young adults who would at least be aware of the back and forth of styles. They would be confident in their ability to seek answers to why this movie was popular or why everyone wears this style of Nike. This habit of questioning sudden changes would result in questioning other things. This habit of questioning in general would lead to a society where everyone has a sort of philosophy of not allowing changes to happen quietly..