It must be difficult trying to cultivate a very particular public image. If you're a children's television presenter, a politician, or a professional magician, you have to carefully judge every action and statement, so as not to discredit your persona.
I don't have that problem. Nobody cares what I do, but, even if they did, they'd realise that my persona is truthful. I don't need to watch what I say, because what I say is a function of who I am. Every statement I make accurately reflects my personality, even the ones that are sarcastic or done in a funny accent.
A children's television presenter has to be friendly and wholesome. If they transgress those guidelines, people will be less likely to trust them with their children's television programme.
A politician makes statements about how the world should work. If they are seen to have behaved in a manner contradictory to their stated opinions, people will brand them a hypocrite and will be less likely to vote for them.
A professional magician has to be able to do magic. If they cannot do magic, people will be less likely to pay to see them do a show.
It must be very stressful for them.
I have no such pressure. It is abundantly clear from previous blog posts that I don't have any guidelines restricting my words. If I cared how people thought of me, I wouldn't post stupid meaningless annoying nonsense, like in my last post.
There are no rules for me. No pressure, no stakes, no rebukes. That's why I'm so happy all the time.
That's why I'm so happy all the time.
I'm so happy all the time.
Happy all the time.
Happy all.
You see? Sometimes I'll start like that. It doesn't have any jokes, it isn't making a satirical point, it's not interesting in any way.
I can do that because I'm not a magician.
Today's discussion topic:
Why are people mean?
We've all met mean people. They may have said something cruel or thoughtless. They may have behaved in a vindictive manner. They may have snatched your hat when they surely knew you were wearing said hat because of a bad haircut. They may repeatedly make jokes about you being a fisherman, even though it doesn't make sense, and you're nothing like a fisherman.
Why do they behave in this way?
It's important to make the distinction between cruelty and thoughtlessness.
Cruelty implies a certain level of intentionality. It is the act of saying a hurtful thing because it is hurtful.
Thoughtlessness is different. Someone may say the same hurtful thing, but without realising it will be hurtful.
The latter is more acceptable than the former, but it does not absolve the mean person. Considering people's feelings is an important element in deciding what to say. If you fail to take these feelings into account, you could be seen to be cruel.
Thoughtlessness does not excuse meanness.
We are all thoughtless at times, but we should make every effort to consider the effects of what we say.
It is for this reason that I have superglued my mouth shut.
Considering the effects of what we say is exhausting. I just can't be bothered.
But, by the same token, I don't want to hurt other people's feelings.
So I've superglued my mouth shut. Now I don't need to worry about being accidentally mean. I'm also immune to being intentionally cruel.
You may have noticed that this refers only to verbal meanness. I am still able to make cruel or thoughtless gestures. For example, by making the fist shaking "wanker" sign or by pointing at a particularly ugly skirt.
To deal with this problem, I only spend time with the blind. I suppose I could stop making the fist shaking "wanker" sign, but that's too much hard work. So I only spend time with the blind.
With my mouth superglued shut, it makes things quite difficult. They would prefer it if I was able to speak. But I don't want to accidentally insult the quiche they've just made. (Yes, blind people can make quiches - don't be judgemental.)
We could still interact physically, in theory. But I have to make sure they're not feeling my hand and arm when I'm making the fist shaking "wanker" sign, or are not feeling my face when I've conspicuously raised my eyebrows at their terrible quiche.
To stop them from touching me at these moments, I've constructed an energy field that repels all matter. It's a highly advanced design, beyond the grasp of Earth's brightest minds. But I'm reserving it for my own use, just in case I mock someone's walk by imitating it in an exaggerated fashion, and they reach out and feel me doing it.
In this way, cruelty has been eliminated from my behaviour. All it took was some superglue, a resolution to spend time only with blind people, and an innovative energy field.
And thoughtlessness?
If this discussion has taught us anything, it's that I'm anything but thoughtless. I have thoughts coming out the wazoo. Or I would do if I hadn't superglued it shut.
So, in conclusion: people are mean for a variety of reasons. But there are always steps that one can take to be more considerate. Remember, something you consider to be throw-away or innocuous, may cause others a great deal of distress.
Meanness is an unpleasant thing. Let's all do our best to make sure we're only ever mean if it's really funny (like the fisherman thing).
***
I look forward to looking forward to something again one day.
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