I think I’m tired of mean people. (I say “I think” because I’m not sure if I’m mean people myself or not.) I don’t mind people who say or do mean things for the sake of comedy and to make others laugh. Heck, I’m one of those people. But what I’ve had enough of are the folks who don’t have a courteous or kind bone in their bodies and can’t bring themselves to hold a door open when they see you with an armful of packages. Or tap their break so you can merge onto the expressway.
Now millions of people who can’t seem to recall life prior to two months ago are trying on their mean. There are actually people living in this country who believe President Obama is the anti-Christ (whatever that means) and that he is responsible for the deficit and all the other problems the country is facing. Who are these people? Check the comments sections on just about any AOL-posted Obama article for the last couple of months and you will find them in all their ignorant glory. But I digress. This is not a political entry.
What fascinates me most is that negative people get TV shows, syndicated articles in major newspapers, and radio pulpits. Positive people, on the other hand, mostly get left out. From writing for this blog alone I know that people like positivity, at least on some level. Watching movies also tells me the same tale, given that very few films end in unresolved tragedy. So why is it that we not only consume, but devour negativity in real-life, and in real-time? We all know that the news only covers murders, disasters, and fires. Cable news networks are throwing around the word “Depression” and predicting the apocalypse as I type this. It seems to me that our new leader is one of the few people – along with Warren Buffet – who are talking about the resilience of the American spirit. He’s being positive. (Sorry, I forgot this wasn’t a political entry.)
Let’s stop giving the negativity, and the fear mongers who live by it, such a far-reaching platform. Sure we need opposing points of view but we can’t keep bombarding ourselves with all-things negative. We have to put positive vibes out into this world whenever it is within our power to do so. We have to look forward to the future, not plan for our demise. As a father I feel like I can’t let my son inherit the current situation no more than I can sit around and criticize and condemn people simply for the “fun” of it. From now on when and if I do it, it’ll be with a serious purpose. Perhaps there is a balance to be found.
Would someone please applaud me? I wrote a whole post about negative and mean people and I totally avoided mentioning Rush Limbaugh.
I applaud you every day, my friend.
Corey
now there’s an age-old problem! it gives you something to think about, doesn’t it? everybody likes to get positive stuff from other people, but we don’t give it out so much … maybe because we’re all pretty much looking out for number one, and we’re almost always going to stomp on the other guy when it comes right down to it, and uncertain times bring out the ugliness even more (speaking of Rush)
LOL at the mention of Rush L. I couldn’t agree more with your mean people sentiments. Consider this a rousing round of applause!
What a timely post – thank you! I am making a conscious effort to be a kinder person, every day, in all things. I don’t think I’ve ever been “mean” but there is so much meanness and negativity in the world that I have vowed to do what I can to combat it – and that is to change myself and be a better example for the kiddo.
(Insert applause here)
I absolutely refuse to watch cable news due to how ridiculous it is. In fact, when we dropped our kids off at the in-laws last weekend I noticed Fox news was on (and Rush was talking) and asked that they please turn that off while the kids were there 🙂 No sense exposing them to that silliness, right?
Completely feel you. We can’t let the mean people make us mad, in turn. All one can do is make sure his/ her light is shining and not take other people’s mean ways personal. Hard to do, but worth the effort. Mean folks are eminating their hang-ups into the world, so just be glad you notice it and seek to challenge yourself to be kinder like the post above. Change starts within each of us.
I gotta say I’ve heard more negativity from Obama in the past year and a half than from anyone else. And even in the past month. What is the point, other than to make excuses for doing what most of America doesn’t want? As we watch the Dow tumble to less than half of what it was when Obama started his negative rhetoric about the “damage” done by the Bush administration, we wonder how much further it has to fall before he will be satisfied. And we are supposed to believe he wants what’s best for all of us? I am sorry, but he is making it very hard.
So I guess I will say, yes, let’s all be positive, but let’s be consistent too.
Negative.
On the non-political side, a co-worker and I were discussing last week the lack of kindness in some of our children.(we’re teachers) We don’t expect children to be nice all the time, but some seem to be mean to enjoy the pain they inflict. I also know that children are almost always a reflection of their parents.
There is a difference in a reality check and maliciousness.
Apparently hate and fear and negativity sell.
I just can’t believe the people that actually buy it.
Great post and I fully agree with you!!
It is not the end of the world.
I’ve been wondering myself if the economy has, prior to the end of the past administration and definitely now during the current one, brought out the worst, or at least the ugly in people. As life gets whittled down into it’s most basic elements there are plenty of people you meet who are just…wonderful…for lack of a better word, but there are many others who are losing so much, or not being able to allow their greed to flourish because their credit cards are unusable, their home value has plummeted, etc., etc. These people are just MEAN — cutting you off in traffic only to race to a red light, walking down the street (on your side) expecting you to get out of their way, this list is long and of little things, but the little things speak the the bigger things, as the Devil is in the details. I just hope not for too long.
Positive speak and positive living (not at the risk of being oblivious) is always the best policy.
I’m so sick of negative people its not even funny…between people killing their family and kids and the whole world to people loosing jobs by the masses I’m just so dang on depressed!!! Some good news please…and I’m so sick of ignorant people…HELLO THIS ECONOMIC DECLINE HAPPENED IN SEPTEMBER….WHY DO THEY ACT SO BRAND NEW ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want an explanation for the viral meanness infecting this country? Blame our culture of autism. No one interacts DIRECTLY anymore. We do so virtually, via email, texting and blogging, but electronic conversation is not communication. Nothing will change in this country until strangers no longer fear (or loathe) the prospect of speaking freely to one another face-to-face. I’m old enough to remember a time when all- night doughnut shops came equipped with counters and stools, just like bars. In that golden age it was common practice to check-in post-party, and gab till dawn with someone you’d never previously met on topics ranging from politics, to religion and philosophy. Today most doughnut shops are stool-free. They have tables instead, usually occupied by stone-faced laptop users you wouldn’t feel cozy speaking with at a church revival. This sort of thing has diminished our civilization, and made us mean. Call me a doom-monger, but I can’t see things getting better any time soon. Most of us are now in the habit of monoism, and habits (bad ones, in particular) are bloody hard to break. Then you have the kids – little hope there, as they’ve been cultivated by anti-culture and seem to have a taste for it. Miracles happen, of course. History is replete with examples of cultures that suddenly turned off Entropy Road to ultimately arrive at greener pastures. Far more common, however, were the civilizations too stuck in their ways to step on the brakes when the cliff’s edge loomed. I fear we may be one of those. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
What? Barack ISN’T the Anti-Christ? You mean to tell me I didn’t have to cancel my vacation plans to Aruba? I thought we were about to be raptured! Dang….