Have you ever noticed how some people seem to be more interested in what others are doing than what they are doing? When you sit down and think about it, it’s quite alarming.
It seems we’ve gone from the “me” generation to the “everybody else but me” generation. People used to be criticized for caring about themselves too much and not looking at things from other peoples’ perspective. If you think I’m wrong, just take a look at the past two years and tell me otherwise.
At the beginning of the covid pandemic, people actually showed a good amount of empathy and care towards others. We shut down almost our entire lives to protect those around us. After a while, it went from taking a few precautions and spreading out a bit, to uprooting your entire life or you’re trying to “kill people.” Attitudes like that made folks like me question the true intentions of these kinds of things. Were some people who were enforcing these things protecting people, or were they just trying to force lifestyles upon others to make themselves feel better? This “my way or the highway” thinking creates resentment and people are less likely to make a few concessions if there is no give and take.
Now, I can already hear some of you saying, “But we need to protect people as best we can!” and “Blind Owl wants people to die!” I’ll tell you the incredibly short sighted and untrue, but just hang on, Covid isn’t the point of this blog.
Let’s take a look at an even more controversial issue that has divided people in this country and then look at how things correlate.
Not sure if you’ve heard, but something called Roe v. Wade got overtuned. I’m no legal scholar, but I think that means that individual states get to make the laws regarding when, how and if abortions can be performed.
Before I go any further, I am not going to give you my opinion on the matter. I think you’ll be able to infer what my thoughts on the matter are when you finish reading this though.
In my almost 30 years on this planet, there isn’t an issue that evokes more angry and emotional social media posts like abortion rights. Since the reversal of the supreme court decision, I’ve seen posts bordering on dissertations about how abortion is necessary and long soliloquies about how any life is to be preserved no matter the situation. It has become almost comical how invested some people have gotten into this issue.
The real big voices that we hear are those who are “pro-life” and absolutely are against any kind of abortion for any reason. These folks who feel this way, and are totally entitled to that opinion, often come at it from a religious angle. Unfortunately, any time religion enters a political or medical discussion, there is no going back and there will be no meeting in the middle.
Doesn’t that idea seem a little familiar? The “my way or the highway” phrase from a couple paragraphs ago comes to mind. What’s truly shocking is how obsessed everyone seems to be in what others are doing or not doing. Some people will even make themselves upset and angry over someone else doing something that doesn’t impact them in any way.
I mean let’s look at each situation individually and I’ll show you how similar they are.
FIrst, if you’re super worried about covid, there is one thing you can do that is almost foolproof. That thing is to protect yourself. If you are safer with a mask, face shield and the whole nine yards, then get after it. If you think those things protect you, why does it matter what everyone else does? You’ll be protected. Seems like logical thinking doesn’t it.
Meanwhile, those who are pro-life spend hours and millions of dollars trying to keep people from getting abortions. It’s the same idea. I’ll even take a look at it from a religious point of view. If you think abortion is a sin, then I would suggest you don’t get one. What does Susan down the street getting an abortion have anything to do with your morality? Guess what it doesn’t. St. Peter at the Pearly Gates isn’t going to care what your contemporaries did.
There’s a very simple phrase that I use with kindergarteners that I think a lot of adults could use. That phrase is “you do you.” If people would spend a little bit more time worrying about themselves and spend a lot less time trying to control what others do, we’d all be a lot better off. Worrying about others is a quick way to a stress filled life that has little to no satisfaction.
On my baseball team, we have a saying that says, only worry about things you can control. What this means is we do our best to not think about what the other team is doing, and just focus on our mechanics and what we can do. America and society as a whole need to take this advice and just worry about themselves and not worry about decisions that others are making that have no impact on you.
Now one thing I know is people like to control things. So, I have successfully pissed off both sides of the argument because they both see that they’re wrong. I’ll be ratioed on social media, but I’ll stick to my guns. I know I’m right, but I can’t control what you think about this or me, so I won’t worry about it. Have fun arguing with each other in the comments!