The Root of All Meanness

Mean is in.

Every day, I see examples of human meanness on TV, in magazines, newspapers, in schools, on the street, in our homes, and in politics. It’s very clear.  People love meanness.

People love to be entertained by violent TV shows and movies.

People idolize professional sports stars who are thugs, cheaters, and liars.

People tell racist jokes because they think they’re above racism.

People love technology because it gives them more ways to bully others.

People distrust people who are different.

People hate others who disagree with their opinions.

People don’t give their seats to elderly people because they got there first.

People don’t clean up after themselves because that’s someone else’s job.

People don’t think of others because nobody is more important than they are.

People don’t have to share because they deserve it all.

People don’t lose gracefully because it’s all about winning.

It seems so natural and normal for people to be mean that I wonder how mothers could be so ignorant and naïve that they tried to discourage it. Mothers have always foolishly tried to teach their children to play nice, be considerate, and share.

My mother actually grounded me when I was about 12 years old for lying to her. It wasn’t a big lie, but she still grounded me. Obviously, she wasn’t thinking about preparing me for the business world.

I wasn’t the only one my mother damaged. My mom used to force my younger sister to play with a girl in the neighborhood who my sister didn’t like. My mom must have thought that girl was lonely or something.

How dumb.

If that girl was lonely, some people would tell me it was her own fault.

And what about moms who make their kids wash dishes, cut grass and clean their rooms? What good does it do to teach a child to be responsible for themselves when everybody knows you shouldn’t have to take responsibility for anything?

I’ve heard of mothers who made older kids babysit for their younger siblings without pay. In a free market, capitalist society, that’s sounds dangerously un-democratic and probably illegal.

Maybe mothers are responsible for our meanness? When mothers are so old-fashioned and out of touch with reality, people have no choice but to rebel against them.

Fortunately, some people are smarter than their mothers. When their mothers encouraged them to “play nice,” they instinctively knew what their moms meant to say:

• You’re better than everyone else
• Take what’s yours
• Always win
• Never apologize

So now we live in a big, mean, selfish world. Our society is filled with deceit, distrust and intolerance.

So forget everything your mother taught you. Forget about values, morals and decency. If successful people in this world are the big, the strong, the liars and the bullies, then you can be sure of this:

Some adults will always be children.

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photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/36699339@N00/24929731506″>Maritim Fragil 01 ¬ 160116.0227</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/62349489@N06/18777506863″>Blanco-46</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>(license)</a>