What are the rules in this place we call earth? I’m pretty sure there’s a manual somewhere and I just didn’t get my copy.
When I was in high school and I would see someone treating someone else rudely, I would say, “You don’t have to treat that person like that.” And all of a sudden I was the bad guy. What the eff? People treat each other in all sorts of horrible ways – from the boss who berates the employee in front of everyone when it really wasn’t needed to insulting a clerk who wasn’t trained well enough to know what to do. Of course it’s frustrating when an employee messes up – do we have to try to humiliate them in front of others? No. Of course it’s annoying as hell when a clerk doesn’t know anything and clearly should. But if they weren’t trained then it’s the company at fault.
But whatever the reason for someone else’s eff up, how would we want someone else to treat that person if they were our kid or significant other or relative? Aren’t they our human relative? So why not be nice.
So, when I was in high school I would call people out on this. I really just don’t like seeing other people treated badly. But then I would find that somehow I had turned into the bad guy. I wasn’t supposed to say anything. We are supposed to just stand by and not say anything. We’re supposed to ignore it. I would never step in and try to make anyone do anything different – I just wanted to put it out there that I see the person being a jerk, and the other person can know that someone cares about what is happening to them. But no – I’m supposed to ignore it.
So a person can be a jerk, and that’s ok. But if I try to step in with kindness, that is being a jerk. So jerk = good, and kind = jerk. Great.
How is this reality?
Magic Pineapples 