The Meanness of People

Dismiss, dehumanize, insult or just ignore, all in a typical day. We have our own motives for acting the way we do, usually looking out for ourselves, or protecting the "world" we have constructed around ourselves (real or imaginative), but the cruelty, heartlessness and vicious way that some people treat others who disturb them, get in their way, slow them down, disagree with them or upset their blissfully imaginative connection to their own reality is beyond frightening. It can leave a deep sadness on our overall impression of the limits to the heights that humanity may ever achieve.

The pride in themselves, the feeling that they deserve to be treated in a way close to Royalty, that their time is more valuable than anyone else's. Stomping on the necks of others is just a normal way of "doing business".

Yes, they may have some justification, with some people out there being just incompetent, careless and thoughtless, not buying into the concept that doing a "good" job has some value to society and to themselves. These people can frustrate others, but still do not excuse the kind of human behavior that pervades society and extends beyond assertive into the realm of abusive.

Perhaps the Buddhist philosophy has some of this right, insisting that control of our "wild" thoughts will be to the benefit of ourselves and eventually everyone around us. We have to live with others, we are not isolated from other people (we can not live that way and survive for long). Determining a way to live, where we do not leave the crushed and broken bodies of others in our wake, will be a better way in the long run. Consider the words we use, before they are spoken. Always try to transpose ourselves with those we come in contact with, in order to feel the effect of what we do or say has on them. This perspective would allow us to realize that the feeling we have may not be a pleasant one and may encourage the softening of our words to others.