Unbalanced

You might know a person.  You might know several people.  You might even consider some of those people friends.  There’s nothing wrong with those people.  They’ve never hurt anyone, never kicked a dog, never blown up a building, never marched with the KKK, never eaten human flesh.  They’re good folks.  But they’re people.  And people suck.

It’s everywhere, all the time.  You don’t need to look very close at society.  A microscope is pointless.  Just change your filter.  Look at it through a clear lens instead of the polarized lenses you’ve been wearing all your lives.  Hate and negativity are everywhere.  It dominates our society.  It’s just human nature.  And humans suck.

Geez, Big Steve, that’s an awful negative thing to say!  Hey, I’m just speaking in terms you’ll understand.  We focus on negativity.  That’s our defining characteristic.  Like a T-rex can only see something when it moves, we only see something that releases the hate hormone in our brains.  It’s science!  So, I’m grabbing your attention by speaking in negative terms.  That’s how we get attention these days.  We suck.

But, Big Steve, isn’t that an extreme position?  Yes!  Because there is so much negativity in the world, only the most extreme negativity gets noticed.  If T-rex sees a lot of movement, he goes after whatever is making the most movement.  He won’t bother himself with the mice…he’s going for the cat chasing the mice, or the dog chasing the cat.  If we’re craving attention, a little negativity won’t get us much.  “I hate Mondays” won’t cut it.  “I hate Joe Biden” or “I hate pride month” is how we get attention (hold on woke-folk, I’ll get to you momentarily).  We have to scream it from the rooftops to get anyone to hear us over the general cacophony of hatred in our society.  People don’t just suck…people suck out loud.

Remember how everyone loved J.K. Rowling?  Uh oh, she liked a post from someone who is against trans rights.  Suddenly she’s the most hated author since Salman Rushdie.  Dave Chappelle was hilarious until he made a joke about trans people.  Now he needs bodyguards to protect him on stage.  Elon Musk was once the hero of climate change.  Now he’s expressed his offense at the word “cis” and he’s a bigot (although many hated him for free speech before that).  But Big Steve, they’re hating on trans people!  So, your response is to hate them right back?  You’re so quick to signal your virtue, you never even heard what they said in the first place.  Because they’ve been labeled “transphobic,” you won’t lower yourself to hear them.  Y’all just add to the suck!

Whew!  Now that I have your attention…

I’ve figured out something about myself.  I’ve become sensitive to negativity.  Or maybe I always was.  That’s why I tend to stay out of arguments (and keep my feelings to my blog), or take the moderate position, or try to make peace.  I know, it’s boring.  I’m okay with boring…it keeps my mind at rest or focused on something other than bullshit. 

I know, conflict is entertaining.  You can’t have a good story without conflict.  Fiction, good fiction, is entertaining.  But we don’t read fiction anymore.  Not while there’s so much conflict to be found on social media.  That’s conflict we can participate in.  True stories at our fingertips.  Interactive true stories shared with all mankind (and if you’re offended by the word “mankind,” you’re proving my point).  You can’t post anything contrary on social media these days without someone seizing the opportunity to create conflict.  We can’t help it…we’re drawn to it…maybe even addicted to it.  We are the eternal traffic slowing down to gawk at an accident scene, hoping to see some gore…and causing more accidents in our wakes.

I’m not immune to it.  I read it even though I know it’s just going to piss me off.  I could block it, but that would mean a lot of blocking.  Plus, I feel like blocking the bullshit is censoring myself.  It’s not FOMO (fear of missing out), it’s just that I feel like it’s my duty to experience the bullshit as an observer of the human condition.  This is what I do…just like when I’m on Citizens’ Patrol…observe and report.  If I didn’t observe, I’d have nothing to report.  I’m not gonna drive around the neighborhood ignoring the bad guys breaking into homes and cars.  I’m gonna call the cops.  Except there’re no cops for the human condition…no jails, no correction…only judgement, hateful and plenty.

I hate some things sometimes…especially litter and crowded grocery stores.  But I really don’t want to hate someone for their personal beliefs when they don’t align with mine.  Seems hypocritical to me…like my shit doesn’t stink.  I know I’m not perfect.  I don’t even know what “perfect” is, so how can I expect it from anyone else?

I’m idealistic, but not naïve.  I realize I’m not going to change our ways.  That’s not my intent.  My intent is to simply show you what’s going on and hope maybe you’ll give it some thought.  Then maybe some of you will read the next post you come across which doesn’t fit your ideals, and you’ll scroll on past, leaving it unanswered.  OMG, what a tragedy!  My righteous indignation was triggered but not shared!  Whatever will I do with all my spare time?  Volunteer for an organization, maybe?  Give ‘em some of your capitalist proceeds? If you’re really picking up what I’m laying down, you’ll transcend the bullshit…listen to the voices from the other side of your hatred and maybe make a friend of one of those voices.  Make the world a better place.  Do something positive!

I don’t want to add to the void.  So, here’s this…

“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It’s not all bad, really.  Not all of us suck.  There are still plenty of people who only post positive messages.  Wishing all their friends and followers a good morning, or a relaxing weekend, or sharing a funny image or cat video.  Some even actively promote kindness…rebels igniting a tiny flame in an otherwise dark night.  It’s boring, yes.  But hopeful.  They are the yang in a universe full of yin.  I try to remind myself that those points of light exist.  They help me deal with social media and society in general.  Shine on, you crazy diamonds!

-Big Steve