Last night I posted a status claiming I had written something which would have cost me about 200 of my Facebook friends. I doubt that is true, but it would have been a lot. I decided to write it here, because I figure less people read it, it's a way to vent and the people who care to comment can do so anonymously.
Facebook and Twitter allow us to make comments a little more freely than we would in person. That is true and not true. There is absolutely nothing I would write on Facebook or in the blog that I wouldn't say in person. Nothing. That is definitely not the case for everyone. Many hide behind their computers and write nasty things about people, knowing their contact with those people are remote. I try never to be too personal, but would have absolutely no problem voicing my displeasure with anyone.
Here's my real gripe. People have to start thinking for themselves. They have to stop bashing things and praising others, because it's the consensus, it's their core belief system or it's how they were raised. Evolution has taught us that we are constantly evolving, but reality is teaching us we are regressing. I have had numerous arguments over the past few months about dicey topics and here's what is troubling to me. People aren't convincing in their arguments, because they don't wholeheartedly believe in what they are saying. There are numerous reasons for it. There is a lack of knowledge, a lack of true belief and there is the most difficult of all, they are conflicted.
When Rick Santorum said that if a woman is raped and gets pregnant, I called him a piece of shit. Republicans and Christians attacked me for this and started a debate. None of them even came close to a cognitive thought, because of the reasons I stated. They don't know people who have been raped and the torment. They don't know people who have had a child because it was against their (parents) beliefs to have an abortion. Most of all, in their hearts they knew it was an awful thing and would never subject anyone they loved to this, but it's OK for someone else to deal with. This is the narrow mindedness I can't stand. People who use political parties or religion as their argument, without actually putting themselves in a situation.
It goes far beyond this matter. I have noticed a growing number of people who all agree on what is great. Jersey Shore and Mob Wives are "great." Coconut water and being vegan is "great." Whitney Houston was "great." This or that is always great, because it's the posh thing to say, when in fact none of these things are great. The television shows are asinine and are the exact thing that is attacking the moral fiber of this country. How did it happen that in the last twenty years, being stupidly outrageous is cool? How did it happen that not being intelligent is funny? How did it happen that every new product on a shelf that claims to be healthy is great? How is it someone with a nice voice, who sung other people's songs and spent the last ten years of her life hooked on drugs is great? Our definition of great has become so sad, it's not even good anymore. I recently read an article about the sales of coconut water and how it's the greatest health drink. They kept saying it was only 50 calories and all natural. The author ended the article with a statistic. Coconut water is 50 calories, all natural and has all the health benefits of water. Water has no calories. Drink water!
We've gotten to the point where even our friendships are dictated by society's perceptions. About a year ago a very good looking friend of mine, who is actually pretty intelligent was at a bar talking to a girl. She was looking for a deep conversation and he was looking to get laid. He interrupted her and said "this is a little much for a Thursday night. Talk to Hopper!" So she turned and talked to me. I don't have the body of an Adonis or the style of a designer, but I know I'm pretty damn smart. She and I talked for about three hours. I think my friend might have even left the bar and came back. We talked and talked and she said how great I was and how it was a pleasure meeting me. How she was single and looking for someone who she could talk to like this. About ten minutes later, my friend walked back in and basically in a polite way said "you ready to get laid yet?" Two minutes later, I was sitting alone and he was, I assume, getting laid. I'm not bitter that he got some and I didn't, but I'm bitter that because of society's value system, intelligent conversation is actually looked down on. Nice pecs trumps knowledge of Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs every time. I'm not saying I'm not guilty of this too, but the reality is it has become the norm.
I have friends who are cops who only hang out with cops. I have friend who are teachers who only hang out with teachers. I have friends who are stock brokers who only hang out with stock brokers. There has become this divide that makes being oneself a negative. It's not only jobs, but economic, religious or political circles. I have friends who refuse to speak politics with me because they say I'm a bleeding heart liberal. The fact is, I'm educated on politics. I don't go with a party, I go with what makes sense. I have a friend who argued about the success of trickle down economics (aka Reaganomics). The odd thing is I proved it's failure in about twenty minutes beyond a shadow of a doubt and I gave them source after source to back up my findings. What was their response? "I still think it works." Why, did they say this? That is simple. To say I was correct would be to admit that the entire theory behind his political parties agenda is wrong. Thus making it impossible to explain his upcoming vote. It's not that this man is stupid, it's that he's fallen into a pattern of being a follower. So many of us do.
People would be very surprised at my voting history and my political beliefs if they knew my core values. I sometimes argue something I believe in ethically, but don't necessarily believe in morally. Just to make it clear. I believe everyone who lives in this country deserves medical attention and health care, but I am 100% for deportation of immigrants. Let me be very clear, that does not only mean Mexican immigrants, that means all immigrants. Everyone knows I see the world differently than most and many think my goal in life is to be a devil's advocate, but the reality is, I'm truly passionate about my beliefs. So much so that it costs me friendships, relationships and in some ways, jobs and opportunity in general. That being said, I don't like playing ball and I'm not going to change.
Obviously what I had intended on writing on Facebook was going to be short, indirect and a little nasty. That is why I didn't write it. I was frustrated. I was frustrated that some of my best friends don't have time for me anymore and frustrated that I haven't had time for some of them. I was frustrated that some people I know wish they had someone to spend Valentine's day with and frustrated that I had offered. I am frustrated that people have become so consumed by their lives that they don't stop to ask how mine is. I am equally frustrated that I don't have the patience anymore to listen to their life's story anymore, when that was always who I was. I am frustrated by choices I've made in the past and their ramifications, but equally frustrated by things I didn't have a choice about. I'm frustrated that I have so much to say, but waste it on this blog, Facebook and Twitter.
I know at times people have an impression that I think I'm better than others. I wish I could say that isn't the case. Shouldn't we all think we're better than most? I think we should, but the reality is we don't. We strive so hard to fit in that we lose our individuality and we become average. Average is the new "Great" and it's our world. A world, which for now, I don't really fit in.
Facebook and Twitter allow us to make comments a little more freely than we would in person. That is true and not true. There is absolutely nothing I would write on Facebook or in the blog that I wouldn't say in person. Nothing. That is definitely not the case for everyone. Many hide behind their computers and write nasty things about people, knowing their contact with those people are remote. I try never to be too personal, but would have absolutely no problem voicing my displeasure with anyone.
Here's my real gripe. People have to start thinking for themselves. They have to stop bashing things and praising others, because it's the consensus, it's their core belief system or it's how they were raised. Evolution has taught us that we are constantly evolving, but reality is teaching us we are regressing. I have had numerous arguments over the past few months about dicey topics and here's what is troubling to me. People aren't convincing in their arguments, because they don't wholeheartedly believe in what they are saying. There are numerous reasons for it. There is a lack of knowledge, a lack of true belief and there is the most difficult of all, they are conflicted.
When Rick Santorum said that if a woman is raped and gets pregnant, I called him a piece of shit. Republicans and Christians attacked me for this and started a debate. None of them even came close to a cognitive thought, because of the reasons I stated. They don't know people who have been raped and the torment. They don't know people who have had a child because it was against their (parents) beliefs to have an abortion. Most of all, in their hearts they knew it was an awful thing and would never subject anyone they loved to this, but it's OK for someone else to deal with. This is the narrow mindedness I can't stand. People who use political parties or religion as their argument, without actually putting themselves in a situation.
It goes far beyond this matter. I have noticed a growing number of people who all agree on what is great. Jersey Shore and Mob Wives are "great." Coconut water and being vegan is "great." Whitney Houston was "great." This or that is always great, because it's the posh thing to say, when in fact none of these things are great. The television shows are asinine and are the exact thing that is attacking the moral fiber of this country. How did it happen that in the last twenty years, being stupidly outrageous is cool? How did it happen that not being intelligent is funny? How did it happen that every new product on a shelf that claims to be healthy is great? How is it someone with a nice voice, who sung other people's songs and spent the last ten years of her life hooked on drugs is great? Our definition of great has become so sad, it's not even good anymore. I recently read an article about the sales of coconut water and how it's the greatest health drink. They kept saying it was only 50 calories and all natural. The author ended the article with a statistic. Coconut water is 50 calories, all natural and has all the health benefits of water. Water has no calories. Drink water!
We've gotten to the point where even our friendships are dictated by society's perceptions. About a year ago a very good looking friend of mine, who is actually pretty intelligent was at a bar talking to a girl. She was looking for a deep conversation and he was looking to get laid. He interrupted her and said "this is a little much for a Thursday night. Talk to Hopper!" So she turned and talked to me. I don't have the body of an Adonis or the style of a designer, but I know I'm pretty damn smart. She and I talked for about three hours. I think my friend might have even left the bar and came back. We talked and talked and she said how great I was and how it was a pleasure meeting me. How she was single and looking for someone who she could talk to like this. About ten minutes later, my friend walked back in and basically in a polite way said "you ready to get laid yet?" Two minutes later, I was sitting alone and he was, I assume, getting laid. I'm not bitter that he got some and I didn't, but I'm bitter that because of society's value system, intelligent conversation is actually looked down on. Nice pecs trumps knowledge of Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs every time. I'm not saying I'm not guilty of this too, but the reality is it has become the norm.
I have friends who are cops who only hang out with cops. I have friend who are teachers who only hang out with teachers. I have friends who are stock brokers who only hang out with stock brokers. There has become this divide that makes being oneself a negative. It's not only jobs, but economic, religious or political circles. I have friends who refuse to speak politics with me because they say I'm a bleeding heart liberal. The fact is, I'm educated on politics. I don't go with a party, I go with what makes sense. I have a friend who argued about the success of trickle down economics (aka Reaganomics). The odd thing is I proved it's failure in about twenty minutes beyond a shadow of a doubt and I gave them source after source to back up my findings. What was their response? "I still think it works." Why, did they say this? That is simple. To say I was correct would be to admit that the entire theory behind his political parties agenda is wrong. Thus making it impossible to explain his upcoming vote. It's not that this man is stupid, it's that he's fallen into a pattern of being a follower. So many of us do.
People would be very surprised at my voting history and my political beliefs if they knew my core values. I sometimes argue something I believe in ethically, but don't necessarily believe in morally. Just to make it clear. I believe everyone who lives in this country deserves medical attention and health care, but I am 100% for deportation of immigrants. Let me be very clear, that does not only mean Mexican immigrants, that means all immigrants. Everyone knows I see the world differently than most and many think my goal in life is to be a devil's advocate, but the reality is, I'm truly passionate about my beliefs. So much so that it costs me friendships, relationships and in some ways, jobs and opportunity in general. That being said, I don't like playing ball and I'm not going to change.
Obviously what I had intended on writing on Facebook was going to be short, indirect and a little nasty. That is why I didn't write it. I was frustrated. I was frustrated that some of my best friends don't have time for me anymore and frustrated that I haven't had time for some of them. I was frustrated that some people I know wish they had someone to spend Valentine's day with and frustrated that I had offered. I am frustrated that people have become so consumed by their lives that they don't stop to ask how mine is. I am equally frustrated that I don't have the patience anymore to listen to their life's story anymore, when that was always who I was. I am frustrated by choices I've made in the past and their ramifications, but equally frustrated by things I didn't have a choice about. I'm frustrated that I have so much to say, but waste it on this blog, Facebook and Twitter.
I know at times people have an impression that I think I'm better than others. I wish I could say that isn't the case. Shouldn't we all think we're better than most? I think we should, but the reality is we don't. We strive so hard to fit in that we lose our individuality and we become average. Average is the new "Great" and it's our world. A world, which for now, I don't really fit in.
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