however with such things forced upon society in so many insidious ways it's difficult not to be influenced
That's the downside of being "followers" for too long. People tend to lose their inherent quality of "choice." Yes, I believe everyone has that inherent quality, which we either completely lose, or make it too dormant when we stay follower for too long.
While it is true that not everyone is a leader, the rest do need to speak up from time to time and challenge their leaders.
Everyone is their own leader, or so I believe...But yes I agree, people should stand up for what they believe in to those who set policy.