Here's another subject that I've been mulling over in my mind for quite a while now. It's taken me a while to figure out why "PC" has become such frowned upon thing. Well it didn't used to be called PC. It used to be called treating other humans beings with respect. Then it got changed to PC when people got sick of being nice to others. So I kind of view this from 2 directions, depending on my mood. One is from my bitter jaded side that has the view that it's no longer in fashion to throw minority or disadvantaged groups of people under the bus, make them the butt of every joke, perpetuate negative stereotypes as if it's normal acceptable conversation or use words to describe a minority as a slang insult. People who have privilege have always done this with abandon in the past but now the minority groups are sick of it and taking their fun away. Seriously. Watch some oldie but goodie movies like Porky's, Revenge of the Nerds, Police Academy, Airplane, 16 Candles.... etc. It's kind of shocking what used to pass as funny. Most of it just isn't even funny. Some of it is disturbing like the rape culture stuff. Anyway, the other, more soft and forgiving side of me sees it has a rapid social dynamic change. Some people like change. Some people have a hard time with change. It seems the main people that have a hard time with change are the people who had the rules and social "norm" going in their favor in the first place. They never got the ass end of the deal so now they are upset that something is being fixed they weren't aware was ever broken. Some people have gotten really upset at the rapid rate of change and believe that we should require decades or centuries for changes to gradually happen. Well I guess that works great for those who are in a position of privilege and don't have to endure abuse generation after generation, waiting for significant change to happen in their favor.
So, I get that "PC" is pissing a lot of people off. Partly that is because that's the way media and politics is herding them. It tells them what to think and feel and most people are easy to herd. It used to be the cool thing to start taking into account how normal social interactions actually harm others. Now it's cool to say what's on your mind and if anyone is harmed then it's just because they were being oversensitive and weak so they need to sit down. Freedom of speech... 'Murica, etc.
I even hear this from normally very caring and good hearted individuals and that's what really made me want to kind of analyze this to death. I wanted to be able to wrap my mind around how being nice became undesirable. Aside from constant messages all around us that we should keep fighting with each other and be divided, that we should always be distracted from the real criminals, there's one really big thing that never gets mentioned. There's a social norm that has been with us a really long time. More and more people are becoming aware of how our social norms are very subtly chipping away at minorities, at poor people, at women, even men. It's a constant thing I see everywhere I see that people are completely unaware of how they speak and blow it off like it's nothing. It's far from nothing. It's self programming and affirmation that is often self hating, self depreciating and divisive in ways that could topple any empire if there was more consciousness and rebellion against this constant brain washing. It's in our very DNA. Hard wired into us. This doesn't make us helpless against it but it will take constant self monitoring to change wiring. Changing these subtle things, over time, will change a social paradigm that could literally change the world as we know it but first, we have to take personal responsibility and change these small things inside of ALL of us, no matter how exhausting or annoying it seems. Otherwise, all we are doing is remaining an easily led herd of cattle that remains helpless and hopeless against those who control everything else in our lives.
Here are but a few phrases and words that are destructive, both in a direct and subconscious manner. Take it seriously and give each other permission to say something when you slip up. If there is to be any hope at all for humanity, we must change how we behave and speak about each other.
First, women, stop self hating! When you make statements about all women being catty or bitches, you are also including yourself, since you are also a woman! Don't buy into this crap that women are weak, petty, manipulative, over emotional, etc. These are destructive sexist phrases that keep us slowly cannibalizing ourselves and make the world a more hostile place to live in:
*Don't be such a pussy
*That's so gay
*You must have a small dick
*You're a whore/slut/bitch
*He screamed like a little bitch/girl
Any kind of slut shaming, talking about women's appearances in order to insult, talking about their sex lives in order to shame, any kind of shaming really. Shaming belongs in churches. That's how they control people and also why I don't go into churches. Don't shame.
Speaking of sexist shaming, boobs and pecs are the same. Everyone has nipples unless they had them surgically removed. Some feed. Some don't. Some are large. Some are small. NONE of those things are even gender based except the feeding thing. Stop breast shaming women. It's brain washing to separate men's chests from women's chests. Stop perpetuating gender stereotypes. Let humans be humans. If a person is sad, let them grieve. Let them cry. If a person is angry, let them speak with passion. If a person wants to wear a skirt, pants, short hair, long hair, no hair... LET THEM without judgement. It's not your business or concern. Gender and sexual expression is a huge gray area. Nothing is black or white. Not even crayons. One reflects all color and the other absorbs all color. Our brains interpret and filter information and relay back to us what it thinks fits best. That does not really equal reality. "Reality" is subjective to each individual. That means what you feel is absolute truth may be the absolute opposite with equal passion and conviction to another person.
Understand that not understanding something is OKAY. It doesn't mean you are defective and it doesn't mean the thing you don't understand is defective or doesn't exist. Not everything has been discovered. Not everything has been studied and not everything has a way to be studied with our current stage in evolution and technology. Not being able to measure or understand is only a statement about the tools or the person trying to understand. It does not negate what IS.
When something exists that you don't like, there is really not choice to "not believe" in it. It exists or it does not. Not wanting it to exist does not negate its existence. You can say "I don't believe in being gay", yet it exists whether you believe in it or not, whether you want it or not. You will never be able to exterminate that which you do not like.
Let go of the need for boxes and categories. Just let things be what they are without need to give it rigid rules of what it can like or not like. I get that must seem weird reading this but if your true self is to be racist or sexist or really mean... uhhh knock yourself out I guess. I don't really think that's anyone's true aspiration but you know, you do you.
If you don't like being "PC", then stop thinking of it as "PC" and start thinking of it as being a more emotionally intelligent and thoughtful person. Educate yourself about others, not for the purpose of being able to empathize, since that's hard to do if you aren't boxed into that group label, but for the purpose to seeing things from another point of view. You don't have to self hate or walk on eggshells. You don't have to own other people's feelings. If you want your children or grandchildren to have any kind of a peaceful existence though, you need to start making changes in the way you think and speak and relate to others and teach your kids the same so a new paradigm can be born and peace can be possible. It's already happening. Just go watch those old favorite movies. It's an eye opener.
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