Me

Me

Thursday, June 25, 2015

A Tale of Frustration

There has been something bothering me for a while now, only coming to light because of all the debates about the stupid confederate flag (and do not even get me started on something that is 1. misrepresented in history and 2. not even what people originally think it is). It is the utter dismissal in a discussion of facts, opinions, LOGIC, and the truth in favor of emotional, disrespectful, bullying responses by those who cannot or refuse to hold their own in a discussion. It is getting annoying because it is everywhere  and it magnifies the true problem with our society, the inability to critically think. Emotions crowd critical thinking and the ability to deduce logic. Emotions such as fear, the belief that we have a right to be angry, and the simple idea that there is a great wide world out there and we are but a spec in the universe can be overwhelming, I get it. Everyone else is angry, on TV, on the radio, in the store. Why can't I? The part that really gets me, is that it seems to be working. They always say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, no matter if they need it or not. It seems like the last decade the squeaky wheels will not STFU because they keep getting reinforced by the grease. The biggest problem is the squeaky wheel is just a squeaky wheel and nothing more. A demagogue of of movement, if you will.  

The proliferation of false information, willful ignorance and utter disrespect for those who can and do provide a differing narrative that proves, at least someone has a different view point, at worst could be possibly a true counterpoint to an argument. And that should not even be a worst! We automatically and emotionally defer to personal insults, generalizations, and unrestrained ass-holiness in the face of a logical challenge. This my friends in anti-intellectualism at its finest. Not undervaluing education, not the idea that you do not have to go to university to get a good job or have a better understanding. That is not anti-intellectualism. Anti-intellectualism is when the notion of  not knowing, not being correct, not following clear logic, is a total foreign concept so much that we lack the critical thinking skills to parse out the fact that we, my friends, know about as much as Jon Snow and that is nothing. So, what is the point of ever even saying anything, especially if it happens to be a topic you are particularly schooled on, i.e, oh I don't know SCIENCE per say,  much less the giving in to the dastardly notion of correcting someone who is clearly in the wrong, morally, ethically, factually or simply in daily tasks? God forbid we call someone out whose opinion is not based on fact, but emotion, fear, and weird societal pressures, based not only on socioeconomic background, but unfortunately the high school mentality of " well, all my friends also think so, I heard it on TV, and saw it on the internet, so things must be that way."

Listen, my husband (one among many) is constantly correcting me. Some are just issues of control and totally benign, like when I am plucking or waxing. What the hell does Ed know of either, since he never does it. A brush off of the useless criticisms occurs and I am plucking away with the door closed. But, oh my God, yes sometimes I am totally and utterly wrong and I do need correcting. Everyone needs correcting. You know why? BECAUSE NOT ONE OF US KNOWS EVERYTHING. Like the nurse running my IV, yeah, I do not want her doing my dental work. You know why, because she does not know how to, no matter how much interest she has in the dental field. She has no training. Now here where the issue really grates at my innards, to the point of clamping down so hard with my mouth I feel as if I will grind my poor teeth to nubbins, sometimes it is an opinion, formed by a false narrative that is just plain wrong. Furthermore, sometimes when it is formed by emotions, it is still incorrect. The worst, the absolute worst of it, is when people treat that opinion as a veritable truth. The only reason why our idiot selves can do this, is because we surround ourselves with other idiots who feel the same way, perpetuating this idea that, 1. We are smart 2. Validate some of our most asinine ideas 3. Because of 1 and 2 we proliferate these ideas and opinions on social media.

Sometimes it sucks to have discussions with people of opposing viewpoints. I know this because I went to grad school and had to suffer through some of the most incorrigible bullshit of my life. That is the definition of grad school when you are in the humanities (I am not even bringing up the most annoying part, you know, talking like you are some dickish overlord of the English language, i.e. using words that NO ONE EVER USES IN ANY SENSE, ANYWHERE, EVER). That being said, do we understand how fast we would be bounced from a program if we became emotional and personally attacked the bearer of bad news in the form of a different idea, concept or gasp! opinion? How fast would you be fired for calling a coworker a name for suggesting a different conclusion from the same set of data being looked at? What if it was your boss that suggested your interpretation of data was not correct because you were discounting a critical piece? It happens in everyday life, for real people like us not on TV, Radio or in politics, and sometimes we have to swallow it and deal with it.

Then their is the trolling aspect of all these opinions, ideas, what-have-you not, when some asshat has to just chimes in to hear their own voice or see their own words typed. The ones who have no real substance to contribute but the over-emotional comeback in the end. Formula follows as such, say something (anything really) in response to some original statement, the original someone says something in return probably with evidence or simple logic contrary to the first comment, commenter plays victim and emotionally lashes out, original someone replies with a "well, these are just the facts/or personal opinion/or belief", comentator emotionally attacks again, other person walks away shaking their head because they will never get those minutes of their life back.

I admit, I am so annoyed that I am not even sure what my point is, I am just frustrated. It is a shame that we are so rigid in our ideologies and opinions that we revert to childish games. We are so unwilling to constantly examine our world around us that we fall on our swords for the stupidest reasons. It makes me wonder, what is the point of seeking answers. Why should I pick up that book, read that article, bone up on this issue or that. Why am I wasting my time trying to get to the root of the matter? There has to be a truth out there and I guarantee that neither you nor I know what it is.