Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a nice start.
Yes, I played hooky yesterday. We had the little ones, and they get here early, and my granddaughter is going through a “Grandpa’s girl” phase where she likes to cuddle in my lap, and … well, when the little guy asks you to make him some eggs, you make him some eggs. Hey, I don’t make the rules! Like Mongo said, I’m just a pawn in the game of Life.
Okay, we’ll see how many people get that last movie reference. When it comes to slap-stick comedy, that was one of my all-time favorites. Crude? Yes. Edgy? Like a razor blade. But a perfect example of how ignorant we can be when we choose to be … well, you know … ignorant.
I think about that a lot as I read the posts on social media each day. In the past week, I’ve removed a few more people from my list of contacts, simply because they insist on showing a side of humanity that really doesn’t need to be shown. In some cases, I even agree with their general perspective. That doesn’t mean we have some God-given right to be rude about it.
Whether we like it or not, we’re judged by the words that come out of our mouth. Or, in this case, the words that fly off our keyboard. It’s one thing to be passionate. But when passion yields to insolence and outright disrespect, we’ve crossed a line. And the worst part is, all it does is beg an equally unpolished response from somebody with an opposing point of view.
It’s been pointed out to me that nobody likes it when you correct them on social media. It doesn’t matter if the story is an outright and easily proven lie, we’re supposed to just be quiet and let the manure spread. All too often, we’re more interested in being heard than speaking the truth, especially if that truth challenges what we want to believe.
We see this all the time, and not just in sensitive topics like politics and religion. Years ago, I was looking for some freelance writing work and I got an offer to write reviews for a company’s products. I asked how it would work – would they send me the product to try out and I’d write a review on it? Would I get to keep the product? Can I write a review for a Lamborghini?
As it turns out, they would send me a list of features and “marketing bullets” about a product I’d never seen, and then pay me to write lavish reviews about it. And I could make even more money by writing negative reviews for their competitors’ products! That’s how it really works out there, folks. And then they stiffed me on my paycheck!
I’m kidding. I’ve been desperate for cash before, but never that desperate. But you know, there are a lot of things I’d never do that other people do every day. I bet you can say the same. Morals and principles are only as strong as the people wielding them.
When I read reviews, I generally skip over the best and the worst, and focus on what’s in the middle. Even if they’re genuine, the best usually sound like, “We just bought this last week, used it once, and it works GREAT!” And the worst are from people who could stumble into a pot of gold and whine about their aching toe.
It’s one thing to spew hate and misinformation, with no consideration for the people it affects. It’s another thing to blindly welcome such thoughts into the sanctity of our brain. If you fill a glass with clean water, it’s crystal clear. Add one single drop of ink, and it’ll never be clear again. And the more ink you intentionally drop in, the darker it gets.
The movie I was referring to earlier is one that illustrates the ignorance of racial bias, more accurately than we’d care to admit. Thankfully, not too many people turn to that movie as a documentary to support their beliefs, because it’s so intentionally over the edge that nobody in their right mind would see past the slapstick mockery to find any inkling of truth.
But how often do we allow negative thoughts into our brain, simply because they fit our preconceived notion of reality? And how often do we go looking for more of those thoughts to bolster our opinion? There’s no shortage of ink, friends. The only question is, what color?
Manufacturers pay writers to come up with the perfect words to convince you their product is the best. Politicians do the same thing, and even other governments if it suits their interests. If you want an informed opinion, you have to inform yourself. Dig deeper. Ask questions. Challenge opinions. Above all, trust your instincts. The truth is there. You just have to want it.
That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!
© 2020 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved
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