Saturday, August 4, 2012

Entitlement Is Not Pretty

I believe that we are all members of the human race which makes us all related, in a way. I try to take other people's feelings into account when things get frustrating as it's the only way I can stay patient sometimes. I might get a flash of anger when someone cuts me off on the highway, but then I force myself to think about the fact that they probably had a bad day or didn't even notice that I was there. And as I have accidentally cut people off, there is no way I can feel superior to them.

I know that the United States of America wants everyone to be equal, so we tried to abolish the caste system. You can be born into poverty but die a millionaire and you'll have lived "The American Dream." This is a very noble goal (not the wanting to have money part, but that everyone is equal). However high-minded and goodly-intended this ideal is, human nature seems to win out every time these days. Truth: we have no official royalty. Truth: we have lots of unofficial royalty. It seems that it is natural to feel better about ourselves if we believe we are superior to others. This annoys me to no end.

People like to judge others. Some people feel they have a right to (p.s. unless you're an actual judge or jury at a trial, then, no, you don't). I believe it bothers me mostly because, shockingly, I used to be very talented at judging others. I am ashamed of this past me. I don't like that part of my old life. I still struggle with it sometimes and feel the shame all over again. I am not better than anyone else. I may be different with different skills and knowledge and may actually be better at someTHING, but this does not make me better than someONE.

I am not better than you.

Some people judge me because of the color of my skin or hair, my weight, how I dress, my position at work, my marital status, my accent or lack of one, how much money I make, how I did on the SATs or ACTs, whether I was in Honors or AP anything, what car I drive, my religious convictions, that I mispronounce words I've only read but never heard out loud...you get the picture. There are lots of items on which people choose to judge.

You are not better than me, either.

If you have more education, money, status, whatever it is, it DOES NOT give you a right to treat me or anyone else poorly. You do not have a right to get mad if I don't let you cut to the head of the line. I do not have to answer your emails so quickly because you want something ASAP and you have zero patience. My job title should not be what you use to define me. Maybe I'm brilliant. Maybe this wasn't my first choice of a career, but I'm happy to be employed. Maybe who I work for has never realized what potential I have. And if you've mistaken my love of laughter for ignorance, please note that I fully understand your thinly veiled barbs at my intelligence. I will do my best to treat you kinder than you have treated me, but then I will avoid you like the plague because I don't really like being nice to people who are acting mean and self-important. You remind me of the old me. It's not fun.

How about a new way of thinking, fellow humans? How about we concentrate more on what we're doing and what kind of person we are and leave others to concentrate on what they're doing and what kind of people they are. Sound good? And can we stop this you-don't-think-the-way-I-do-so-I-will-hate-you-now mentality? Let's treat the world's population as family members we love. Maybe then we'd be more respectful of others, boundaries, property, copyrights, tribulations, and all the like. Let's love our neighbors for real. Let's go back to the original Golden Rule of being kind to others as we also want to be treated kindly, okay? Please? I promise that if we all try, and try again when we fail, and keep trying every day, the world will be a much better place. Really. I promise. But if not, I'll do my best not to judge.

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