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Words! Understand them before using them.

Over the last few years, the past two or three especially, I've been away from what had always been my normal environment. Despite having friends from all walks of life, with different values, educational levels, and socioeconomic backgrounds, most of those I associated with understood words and their meanings. Now living (near) and working in an Ivy League college town, you'd think this would be similar. It's far from it. What I've realized is, most people, much of it due to social media and memes, do not understand what most words mean. Their misuse of them is comical at times, but when they use them to define themselves, without understanding their true meanings, it's actually quite sad. See below.

Compassion: This is not a simple act of caring. It's the, at times, overwhelming concern and care of others who are less fortunate than you. So many people think simply being nice is compassion. Being nice is being nice and it's definitely a wonderful thing, but it's easy to be nice to those who need you.

Values: These are not ever-changing standards that one possesses based on the situation or the individuals involved. These are set principles one lives by and finds difficult to stray from. Saying you value friends and family sounds wonderful, but if you shun them over minor disagreements, you don't value you them, you value what they have to offer when you need them.

Integrity: Much like values, this should never change. It's quite simply the act or quality of living a life of honesty and high moral standards. A person who treats people differently, when their situation or actions does not jeopardize one's integrity, is not a person with this quality, but one with none.

Thankful vs Grateful: Thankful is being pleased with expected outcomes, where grateful is a feeling of appreciation of the unexpected kindness of others. People pleading for prayers on social media blur this line daily.

Respect: This is the most baffling misconception. Respect is the admiration for one's actions or qualities, maybe even their achievements, which makes one hold the other in higher regard than others. It's not simply appreciating someone because you believe they are being honest with you. If you respect someone, simply for their honesty, it says more about those you surround yourself with and your own moral compass.

Priorities: These are things you hold more dear and with a higher regard than others. Again, these shouldn't change like the wind. If family is your priority, you choose them first, quite possibly even above yourself.

Blessed: Don't even get me started on this one. I'll just say, if you're religious and you use this every time people are nice to you, you're probably either doing religion or life wrong.

And finally, my word pet peeve

Karma: Karma is not revenge. Karma is not payback. Karma is not even about someone else. In the most simple terms, Karma is your existence, based on the sum of your action both in this life and past lives, and will predict your existence in future lives. It has nothing to do with bad things happening to people you're mad at. EVER!


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