Side note here:
As time progresses and we (meaning the citizens of Steemit) settle into some sort of routine with our activities here, it seems to me that more and more content would fit under the general heading of "Ulogs."
I realize that I seldom write "article-like" things about "specific topics" anymore... I pretty much just write musings and opinion pieces. Which actually makes me happy, because that's what drew me to blogging, in the first place.
No, not when I joined Steemit, silly! When I started blogging, circa 1999.
So I wanted to start by sending a quick shoutout to Terry (aka @surpassinggoogle) for recognizing the value of "The Internet of People," all these years later!
Mountain majesty... near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington
Anyway, the Whole "Judgment" Thing...
Everyone seems so damned busy putting others into neat little boxes, these days.
It happens a lot in the political arena (especially) but also elsewhere. On the greater scale of things, I guess I am what you might call "Liberal leaning," but not in that toxic and weird-ass way that's being purveyed these days. More like a traditional... 1950's(?) liberal way; lookout for others, not just for yourself, and common good and all that rot.
The judgment part comes into play because these days it seems like we're all "supposed to fit" whatever labels we may or may not — partially, or fully — identify with.
As in, I don't GET to be "a liberal" who believes in a "common good," while also believing that people oughta stop whining quite so much and instead step up to the plate and practice some self-reliance, rather than sit around and wait for some magical "it" to come around and solve their problems.
Fall leaves
A Traitor to my Tribe?
I remember a particular concept that seemed to arise during the George W. Bush Presidency — in the early days of the ostensible "War of Terrorism" — in which we were presented with this idea that "You're either WITH us... or you're the ENEMY!"
It is a paradigm in which there is no "space" for independent thought.
A paradigm under which there is no room for me to say "Well, I agree with SOME of what you are saying, and I think some of it is outright stupid!"
I don't get to SAY that, because I am no longer adhering to mob rule. Now I am questioning the mob, and that makes me a traitor. Or something like it.
Can we find a BALANCE, in all this?
Stupidity... and Judgment
Anyone remember the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit?
What IS with this overall deal of abdicating our responsibility for exercising some version of common sense?
And getting back to the main event here... why does it make me judgmental to wonder whether someone who who orders hot coffee (as an example) and then is surprised the coffee is HOT was dropped on their head as a baby?
Because not being able to connect those dots just makes you plain effing stupid!
Now, some people want to get into that as an issue about my lack of empathy and compassion... but I can assure you, I have lots of empathy and compassion for being burned by food... as someone who has repeatedly had the roof of my mouth scorched by steaming hot pizza, straight from the oven!
Yes, that makes me stupid as f*ck, but I OWN it, and it's not Pizza Hut's freaking fault! I judge myself, thank you very much.
And I reserve the right to judge YOU, if you sincerely believe that a "Warning! Pizza in box may be HOT!" label would have made a difference to the roof of your mouth... nope, you're just dumb as f*ck!
Like me.
And you can't duct tape stupid...
As always, comments and feedback invited and welcomed! What do YOU think about the whole "stupidity," and "excessive warnings" and personal accountability issue? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 181017 11:48 PDT