Perception is Everything

"The world is full of oversensitive people."

"People today take offense at every little thing."

I waffle when thinking about both of these statements.

Yes, maybe I am offended by a "dirty" joke; maybe I am not.

Maybe someone isn't normally offended by a "dirty" joke until something in the joke triggers something in their mind.

People should grow a thicker skin...maybe.

Maybe things should be more black and white.

Maybe people should smile more and talk less.

Maybe people should be more cognizant of how their actions and words affect others; and care that they do.

There are people in Alabama defending Roy Moore against corroborated child molestation accusations using the example of Joseph and the Virgin Mary being parents to Jesus.

WHAT THE EFF!?!?!?!

The world has lost its collective damn mind.

The world has spent years figuring out excuses for behavior that is WRONG.

The United States elected someone who admits to sexually assaulting women president.

I'll say it again, the world has lost its collective damn mind.

The fact of the matter is, there is behavior that is acceptable and there is behavior that isn't.  It is as simple and as black and white as print on paper.  The problem is when we get into interpretations.

It's "locker room" talk.
It's "boys being boys" or "girls being girls" or "kids being kids".
It's the fact that NO ONE takes responsibility for their actions anymore but they are lightning fast to point fingers.

There is behavior that is acceptable and there is behavior that isn't.

We live in a world where a teenage actress posts photos of herself scantily clad.  If you react with distaste, you are body shaming, if you react with unbridled enthusiasm, you are objectifying women (or a young girl). I am the parent of a teenage girl.  Scantily clad photos of her or any other teenage girl are unacceptable PERIOD.  Not because I want to body shame anyone.  Everyone should be proud of who they are; however, I am not sure you are showing that pride by posting a scantily clad photo of yourself.  Perception is everything and in this era of social media, the perception of what one posts is more prominent than the intention of the one posting.  I am not sure there is a way to change that.

There is an overly exposed reality star; I don't need to mention her name but her first initial and mine are the same.  When I see photos of her, I feel sorry for her children.  I have seen more of her boobs than anyone not in a relationship with her should as has her 100 gazillion social media followers.  She is a beautiful woman, no doubt.  The perception given from the photos constantly in the media is that she doesn't care about her privacy and yet she guards it fiercely.  What is the story you are telling...and millions of people are eating up??

I think in this era of FB and Insta and Snapchat, Blogger, Twitter etc, people hide behind a keyboard, claiming to be REAL, DIRECT and RIGHTEOUS.  Does anyone say out loud what they furiously type into their device?  What would you do if someone said what you are typing to YOU or your CHILD??

I remember being threatened by someone I had never met (nor do I care to meet) for "threatening" a family member of theirs in a heated debate about gun control.  I've been clear about where I stand on gun control and that is not the topic of this post.  I had simply asked this person what they would do if a loved one of theirs was a victim in the next mass shooting.  But hey, if it makes you feel better to threaten my life...by all means.  It wasn't my intention to threaten someone with my post but it was another person's perception that I had.  So that person threatened me.  It's my perception that the person that threatened me is batshit crazy...but I digress. 

There is behavior that is acceptable and there is behavior that isn't.  Maybe we should teach that to our children.  Maybe there should be consequences if behavior that isn't acceptable is displayed.  One person's perception of another's behavior may be different than yours; and that is OK.

Three teenagers robbed and beat two people in Chicago the other night, it was captured on security cameras.  Security cameras also captured witnesses continuing about their business.  Seriously what is wrong with people.  Of course the teenagers robbing people are displaying unacceptable behavior but so are the people walking idly by LETTING IT HAPPEN.

Step up people; sitting idly by is what made that overly exposed reality star the mogul she is, it's what allowed thousands of men and women in the TV and film industry to be sexually exploited and abused over many many years, it's what allowed our laughingstock of a president to be elected, it's what allows the hypocrisy that happens daily to exist.

There is behavior that is acceptable and there is behavior that isn't.

Perception is everything.