Thursday, December 15, 2011

HATE ON THE NET

The age of technology has paved the way to fingertip access to information; e-buying and e-trading; e-reading; bridging distance via web-based communication; facilitating simulated and vicarious learning; among all the other attendant consequences of the Internet Universe. As I write this post, someone would have likely invented a gadget more powerful than what either of us are using now to read this.


It is however unfortunate that for every breakthrough humanity is given, we almost always naturally destroy its inspiration as we ascribe power to ourselves to use these advancements as an edge to further improve our skills on hating, bullying, segregation, bigotry and worst of all, increase our cowardice as we hide behind the comfort of an electronic tool to commit these acts of inhumanity by judging and ridiculing other people, trusting that we are protected by some distant, geographical servers.


Do you really matter at all? Or what you think? Or what you say? I mean, seriously. Do you believe all that is possible just because ...?


In real life terms, there are very few people in this world who really matter to any one other person. In the same way, for anyone to matter a great deal to someone, all the time, is rare and far between. 


The downside of the Internet community and the social networks has unfortunately increased man's capacity to delude himself by completely fracturing his mindset to think AND believe that the total number of Friends that like you on Facebook or Follow You on Twitter or play games with you, are in any way a good substitute or equivalent to warm-blooded, tactile, present and real-life friends and loved ones, living right outside of the dark closet of your laptop or PC.


It's sad, no, I correct myself, it is tragic. People have grown accustomed to the "home-ness" of the little black (or white or alien) box, and the relative ease in using one of the most abused 3-letter word on the keyboard ...DEL. Delete, my dear friends, is not considered homicide.




The sky is blue, the clouds are white, and the air we breathe (as the last time I checked) is still tax-free.  The world to date has 7 frickin' billion people. There are around 100 billion galaxies and approximately 30 sextillion stars in the observable universe. And here is something I hope everyone who would chance upon this post would appreciate and feel humbled - an entire galaxy is seen as a small bright dot, a speck.


If you happen to love and be loved by one other real-life person in this magnanimous galaxy, consider yourself lucky.  Otherwise, you don't matter. Nor do I. Or anybody else. 


I can't, for the life of me, explain all the hating and judging, whether in cyberspace or in real-life.
I can't simply rationalize why one person can feel so superior over another.
How can one race be more intelligent?
How can one creed be more righteous?
How can one gender be considered more fortunate?
If your preferences differ, how can you think your preferences are better than anyone else's?
Wealthy and affluent? Who the hell cares? You're still smaller than a dot.


Now, (getting off my soap box), I am fortunate enough to have found a handful (emphasis on the handful), of online gems and another handful of loved ones and significant others who make my little speck in the universe glow with spectacular brilliance.


"It is better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you are not."







16 comments:

  1. You know, this summed up exactly why I "hate the world" at the moment. Everything is taken for granted, and no one can really appreciate anything. It drives me insane, and in turn I want to get away and get back in touch with nature.

    It's funny though, because to some degree we're all guilty of judging, since no one truly knows what anyone else is actually thinking, or who they really are inside. I suppose to be truly innocent, we must separate ourselves completely from everything except absolute necessities. Only then everything can be truly appreciated.

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  2. Great post-you hit the nail right on the head. I'm going downstairs right now and watch TV with Mrs. Penwasser.
    Thank you.

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  3. so true, well said and i couldn't agree more.

    http://fancyclothesanddirtylaundry.blogspot.com/

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  4. Yes. There are a Lot of haters out there...just look at the news. Appalling.



    Always enjoy your ponderings, P. Xx

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  5. Dear Petite,
    The vastly expanding universe of electronic connections that are open to us only seems to accentuate our more basic needs - to connect, to be part of something, to matter to someone. I do believe that we can connect to certain persons across this electronic sky, but until we do actually, physically connect, that it is only something partial and evanescent. I do definitely treasure the contacts I have made over cyberspace, but I consider those contacts less than those I share in "real life."
    It seems to me a shame that so many out there consider the contacts they make electronically as their only real human contacts, and I believe that is what is behind some of the abysmal behavior seen on the internet. This is much the same as yelling in traffic, for without the filter of actual, face-to-face encounters, some of our more primitive impulses takeover.
    Just a thought.

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  6. The anonymity of the Internet does seem to turn some people into ass holes. I will freely admit to trolling assholes. But when people go out of their way to hurt others for the purpose of hurting is just plain wrong. I hear excuses that there is no way of knowing kids were that unstable when they are driven by bullies to commit suicide. Bullshit. I truly believe every human being knows when they are being deliberately cruel, and if not, then they need psychiatric help. If you desire to just push someone to the edge, what kind of a dark twisted fuck gets their jollies by doing that. Guess it falls under the list of those things I really do not understand.
    Great post as always.

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  7. I think it is hard to TRULY empathize with others. As a result our opinions are indisputable and all others are idiots for not believing what is right and true, and therefore are fair game to belittling and ridicule... or worse. We all tend to be self righteous about how close minded everybody else is without realizing that we are equally so. As for the human connection, it is the be all and end all of our existence. No man is an island. Great post.

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  8. Another great post! This is a topic that I have thought about a lot recently. It seems like humankind is becoming a bit colder and meaner. We need more people like you to create forums like this so that we can look at ourselves in the mirror and decide to 'make the change'. :)

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  9. Thanks guys.

    I wanted to hear your thoughts and I hear them now.

    I was beginning to ask myself whether I am the only one who noticed the "hate pandemic" and the Internet whilst designed to connect has been used to disconnect and breed more contempt.

    I just hope mankind, (that's us) will find a better way to use our tools and resources to build rather than destroy. Maybe someday, guess when it's too late.

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  10. People fear what they don't know. It is as simple and as complicated as that. We hardly ever realise that as much as other traditions and beliefs seem threatening, so do ours to other people.

    It is down to what you choose, I believe. I choose love. Consciously. And in the greater spectrum of things, it helps to remember that in actually fact every single person has their place and their reason for being, even the ones who spread hate, by whichever means. In this case, perhaps, how else would we learn about tolerance and acceptance and do our best to live out these principles if the opposite of these principles were not visible in our lives.

    And I know my comment is already a bit long, but here is something that was sent round to me by The Secret Scrolls Newsletter:

    Change in a country begins with one person. Each country reflects the inner peace or turmoil of its mass population, and so as one person changes they affect the rest of the population. One person has the power within them to bring massive change to their country through immense love and peace within themselves. But we cannot bring about peace and well-being to our country unless we have conquered that in our own life. Do you see? You cannot give what you do not have.
    Each person's job is to bring utter harmony into their own life, and then they will become the greatest human gift for their country and the world.

    May the joy be with you,

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  11. A bit late the to party, but you are dead on here, Psycho. I used to think that the internet community was merely attractive to those already misanthropic, but I now think it might help encourage antisocial behavior in folks not otherwise inclined to be like that. It's too easy to be hateful online because there's no tangible repercussions, and I think that behavior eventually carries over into their face-to-face interactions, as well. It's like dis-associating yourself from humanity and thinking of them as only text on the computer screen. It's sad.

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  12. Great post.I have learned a lot from people on the internet and it is helping me irl also.

    sorry so late with my comment.

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  13. I like the safe area between love and hate most. This is a great discussion though... I love the word sextillion too.
    :)

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  14. pb, i totally agree ... there ARE some people online that i wish i could meet in person and have them around for my real life.

    you're one of them.

    i look more for physical hugs these days ... they are healers

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  15. As I was reading, I began formulating a life-changing response which would have united our perceptions of the human condition whilst simultaneously causing us to live in a harmonious society. Then I saw the word "Sextillion" and lost my train of thought...

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