Mistakes and More

It's too easy to hate nowadays, to scream at the people who disagree with you, to label them out of frustration or because everyone else is doing it. Once upon a time, it was easier to be kind. 

I grew up in the seventies and eighties, and no, neither decade was a utopia, but we didn't have the internet or social media so much of the vitriol we see now we didn't see then. Yes, it probably existed, but it wasn't shared like a bag of popcorn at the movies. 

Now, it seems to be perfectly normal to call someone a name like "idiot" or "stupid." I've dealt with it a lot more since starting to write for Red Shirts Always Die. Make one mistake in writing a post, and fingers start pointing. I've been called so many names, I've lost count. Simply because I made a mistake. People are quick to point out those mistakes and question whether I know what I'm doing or have the knowledge to write about the topic. 

People still make mistakes. Does that mean those people should be vilified? Is it no longer allowed for someone to say forty-two when they meant fifty-two? Or Maine when they meant Massachusetts? If I put the wrong date in my calendar and show up for my doctor's appointment a day early, is it okay to call me an idiot? If someone doesn't understand something as well as you do, is it okay to call them stupid? If I think differently about something than you do, is it okay for you to call me dumb? 

Years ago, parents and teachers told school kids not to call one another names. (They may still do that, but I haven't been in school in a very long time.) But now, we have adults calling each other names because there are no parents or teachers to correct us which, apparently, we still need. 

We talk about the need to quell bullying, both online and off, but that only applies to children and young adults. Apparently, it's perfectly acceptable to tell someone they have low intelligence because they don't know as much as you do...or, at least, that's what you think. But, honestly, if someone isn't as familiar or knowledgeable about a topic as you are, that doesn't make them stupid.  Perhaps it simply isn't a topic that interests them. 

I consider myself an intelligent person, but if my car breaks down, I can't fix it. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Does that mean I'm stupid, and the mechanic is of higher intelligence? No. It means we both have different areas of expertise. 

if I don't agree with your point of view or your beliefs (that have nothing to do with human kindness), that doesn't mean I'm wrong, and you're right. Neither does it mean the opposite. It means you believe something based upon your understanding of the topic, and I believe something different based upon my understanding of the topic. And because we disagree, does that mean we have to be enemies? 

For example, I believe in God. If you don't, does that mean we have to be against one another? If you think the Earth is flat instead of round, does that give me the right to call you stupid? If someone believes in life on other planets, and I don't, does that make them an idiot? 

How do you think this world would change if we just accepted that we are all different? How do you think things would be if we could acknowledge that I'm me, and you're you? 

Just some things to think about...