So, you walk past a MacDonalds and you see a chic with 3 big macs, 2 large fries, nuggets, an apple pie and wait for it...a diet coke. I know I've had that exact situation happen to me and I couldn't help but comment on why she'd have a diet coke.
The point I'm getting at here is, what has that got to do with me? not to say that we can't have opinions but certainly if they're unnecessarily derogatory (as was the case for me in the instance above), then what purpose does it serve me to point out my opinion to myself, a friend or even to the person themselves?
Maybe we do it as a way of making us feel better about ourselves? That makes sense to me (in terms of a reason NOT in terms of justifying the action). But if you look carefully, this is something that is embedded in our culture (certainly in the UK where I live and from what I have seen, the US also). Weekly magazines, daily newspapers, MTV programs etc. Almost every medium becomes intertwined with this focus of negativity or irrelevance relating to other people.
The Minogues and the Osbournes in a feud, Kerry Katona losing more weight, Emma Watson having to leave a building in the middle of the night because of a fire scare. All of this read in the local newspapers or "chic mags" in the past 14 days and non of it serving any positive purpose.
The only purpose I can see is the removal of focus from our own lives and onto that of others. Not only are failures and accolades catalogued, but the mundane too. Is the need for escapism so great?
We all have energy and with it the ability to direct that energy toward positivity for ourselves and others around us or for negativity. Putting the focus on others in a negative way can give us the temporary empowerment to feel better about ourselves even for just a moment, but because we are not focusing our energy on helping ourselves and by proxy, others - any fixes we have are short lived containing very little substance or solace.
Think about it, how has Jordan breaking up with Peter helped you in any way? How has Lindsay Lohans continual battle with drugs and alcohol helped you? It's all focus on the demise and downfall of others which makes us feel better about our own misgivings.
It is a rarity to be encouraged to develop the self and to gain true enlightenment and evolution and I am forced to ask why.
As a species, we are capable of so much and our individual potential tends never to be reached because of this. It is easy to follow what is known as the norm even in light of the fact that it is in no way normal. Comparison to others can only provide finite satisfaction whereas in retrospect, comparison to a former version of ourselves and seeing our progressions in that way can be far more fulfilling.
Our words as well as actions have the ability to condemn or commend, to turn a frown upside down or to help someone into a well of depression. None of us have this crazy world figured out even those of us that feel we have but the realization of this combined with a slightly different view on things could help in making this world a slightly better place for all of us.
Peace and Love.
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