"Ignore the haters"
Member Blog post · RolePlay
I saw that little line in a blog earlier, and it bothered me, because i grew up being taught that disagreeing with someone, or having a different opinion, did't make you a hateful person. This little phrase makes one look childish, petty. "You don't agree with me, so you must be a hateful person! Angry and insecure waaah!" How can I hate you? I barely know you enough to want to listen to your opinion. If I don't agree with it, are your feelings that vulnerable that a simple "Sorry, but I think.." can send you into a crazy emotional downward spiral to call complete strangers hateful people?
Maybe you're the one with the issues.
I know this little phrase is also a political buzzword that gets used to scare people into apologizing for what they believe, because if they don't they get labled as racists, homophobes or <insert Democrat-invented slur here>. You don't have to be afraid of words. Believe as you like, and speak as you like. Don't let people who use childish and petty buzzwords scare you into feeling ashamed of your beliefs. You are an individual with rights that cannot be taken away (yet) by such petty people, and they know this, and since they can't take it by force, they'll try to make you ashamed of and then abandon them yourself by embarassing you for your beliefs, your thinking, and your faith, and how you generally act in life day to day.
Either you agree with whoever uses that phrase, or you're an awful person. Sounds to me like someone wasn't told "No" often enough as a child. If they keep hearing "Yes" from parents they'll believe that everyone else will say it too, and when it's time to join society and be productive, "Oh no! Someone said "No"! They're being mean to me, they must hate me, because mommy and daddy always said "Yes"! And if all the other real world people tell me "No" then they must be hateful people too!"
Then there's the kind of person who feels empathy for other people who aren't offended, but that one feels they should be, because that one person gets offended, and if that one gets offended, then every other person of that color, race, nationality is automatically offended, regardless of not hearing what was said or saw what was done., and then tries to shame their victim. "I'm <insert color/natiionality here> and i'm offended by your comment, and because i'm offended, it's offensive to all the other <color/nationality> people too, nevermind that they might just thinnk it's funny, or nod their heads at a correct stereotype, you evil and hateful little person you!"
Who are they to speak for a group of inviduals? Are they some sort of national spokesperson for <color/nationality>? Or are they just some easily offended snowflake that wants attention? We all see examples of this, in the news, on the street, in our neighborhoods and sometimes our own family members.
There isn't really a solution other than to maintain your own boldness in dealing with life, and to not allow other people to dictate how you live it, and perhaps show others that they too can be free of such emotional manipulatons also, if they want to be. But it's pretty scary sometimes to think for yourself, because if you do, you also have to accept responsibility for your own thoughts and eventual actions; it's easier to just let other people to run you for you...but if you go that route, you have no say in what happens, because your life isn't yours.
Who owns you? Do you own you? Or do outside puppetteers own you, making you parrot their words, speak their phrases, and run away screaming when things they don't like get spoken or done, "Help, help, I'm being oppressed by individualistic thinking, help me overlords, i might have an original thought!" You might want to check. You can't go through life without *someone* trying to change you, but you *can* make sure that the changer has values you agree with or not, and if not, you *can* and *should* tell that person to take a hike. Preferably in bear country wearing a steak necklace.
Anyway, that's my take on that hideous little phrase I see every so often. I left some bits out, because people tend to get bored if blogs go on too long. I hope you learned something gentle reader or were at least entertained. If by some weird chance you think I picked on you...maybe I did. If the accoutability shoe fits, do the tango in it.
Bite that rose extra hard, now.
Comments
19 comments on this post.
I'm offended, is there a 1-800 number and a questionaire? Are safe spaces included? (Free of charge, of course) How about remunerations? Is it in government cheese, cuz I like that... [Gets's distracted and wanders off to find dinner which may or may not include government cheese]
OOC: As a Democrat-type who doesn't ascribe to the "make up slurs" and detest them from either side of the aisle for exactly the reasons you describe, I endorse this message! And surprisingly agree with it 100%, understanding clearly the underlying personal reference that has not been said outright because it wouldnt matter even if you did - ya hater! : )
And please, please, please do not delete this in 10 minutes, some words deserve to stand. Come to think of it, that might be the real reason some of those go missing time and again - makes more sense than someone who cant stand by their words they so freely and tirelessly pen.
Cheese? As long as it's Bleu, I'm good!
Guv’ment cheese makes the best muckNcheese and grilled cheese sammiches! And ditto to what Gaia said!
Madie, the Second Amendment gives us the ability to turn any space wherein we are standing into our own personal "safe space." ;) Haters Beware.
Was really after the cheese and the questionaire. As long as there are only closed-ended questions. Don't make Me have to expand upon Me answers :P
Jealousy is a serious disease. It effects across the political spectrum.
As opposed to the affectation some put up to put down others in sickeningly sweet responses.
You blinked. * winks*
I see the above somewhat often, and I ignore it as best i can, but when i can't, it makes me smile to see those kinds of people look at me shocked to hear words that they don't like, but can't stop, and they tend to walk away either embarassed or confused that someone would dare to disagree and not kowtow.
I don't think I embarrassed or confused anybody, but they did walk away when they realized I wasn't changing My mind.
A point can be made without histrionics, and people can walk away from a conversation with a smile - thank you Dalamar, and your original points are well taken also. Necessary, even.
I felt compelled to make this blog because another one, now closed to comments, had a guy in it that said to 'ignore the haters', whatever he meant by that. Some of you probably saw that blog in passing to something else. Thanks for the positive feedback, people.
People need hate just like they need fire. Surely too much of either one can be dangerous but when controlled they're both beneficial to our survival. Hatred is not the same thing as "evil" which is strictly a moral choice, hatred is an expression of passion, it's a defensive emotional reaction. Hatred is exactly what motivates a person to stand up and fight back relentlessly to defend themselves and others.
Why would any reasonable person be ashamed of embracing and admitting their own hatred? Do we not hate injustice? Do we not hate terrorism? Do we not hate religious persecution? Do we not hate senseless killing? Do we not hate rampant epidemics? Hatred is as much a catalyst for change as is love.
"Ignore the haters." Nevermind that person driving a truck through a crowded sidewalk? Nevermind those people loading those other people onto railroad boxcars at gunpoint? Nevermind that pesky AIDS epidemic? Nevermind those people burning down the hospital? Nevermind that two-tiered justice system? Nevermind those people in chains? To "ignore the hater" is to endorse tragedies that are preventable. Better to step up and come to terms with what hatred is, where it comes from and how it's used.
I'm not afraid of hatred, I openly embrace it. As a matter of fact, I HATE to agree with Dalamar but this time I do.