There’s a lot of dumb ass people, I get it. Excuse the strength of my statement there.
In the individualistic society that we live in, where instant gratification is the norm and where perception is more important than reality… there’s a lot to be pessimistic about. Everyday we are bombarded with negativity, whether through media outlets or even our own peers. The amount of conditioning that occurs on daily basis is ridiculous, conservatively speaking. SO of course when something positive is under the spotlight, people latch on. People want to be positive, happy, uplifted, etc.. but on their own terms. Which is why I’m sitting here writing today.
I recently read an article about a couple from the area I live in, doing something quite out of the ordinary. Recently married, this couple has decided to walk from St. Augustine, FL to Somewhere, CA with nothing but each other, their faith, and the charity of others. Many people including those I know were first to negatively judge due an assortment of reasons, which for the most part I can’t deny their logic. But I have a gnawing feeling that a lot of the criticism largely gravitates around the couple’s religious motives. Now don’t get me wrong, when it comes to a lot of things religion based I’ll be the first to scream “idiot!” But in this particular case, I believe there is much more than meets the eye. Going back to what i said before, people want something to be positive about..but on their own terms.
What does that mean? Well for example: Cute animal videos, stories of charity, celebrities being kind.. the list goes on and on. Just look on your Facebook news feed if you want more examples. Now that’s all well and dandy and one can definitely appreciate stories of that nature, but what about stories that aren’t as clearly defined? Stories in which one particular factor of an individual/event clash with the audiences beliefs?
The homeless child that grew up in the streets and is now a religious leader.An individual that has saved the lives of so many orphans. But he’s Muslim.
The young woman who loves dancing because it’s the only thing she’s good at. But she’s fat.
The couple that instead of going on a traditional honeymoon, have decided to embark on an epic journey to discover themselves. But religion is involved.
You see people like to latch on to positivity, but love to latch on to negativity. For many things, I agree logic must prevail. But sometimes one must appreciate people and things for what they are rather than what they are made of. Appreciate the art. Don’t criticize the quality of oils, the canvas, or the colors used to create it.
Whatever happened to the appreciation of human life?
Great article! Refreshing to see these positive posts!