Ignorant by Default

Sometimes I feel as though "speaking up" has been beaten out of me. The need to hold back is so strong these days. In order to appear neutral and pleasant, I often have to withhold advice or information from others. Even if it's considered damaging, no one listens. So the damage would be the same either way.

We have a culture of people who act and live impulsively. No patience or thought process. Just pure "I feel this way, therefore I do." For some things, like art, that's fine and totally necessary. But for decisions concerning one's life, this is not a smart way to live. This impulsive way of thinking is how you destroy your life (and possibly the lives of others) and later find yourself asking "Why did this happen?"

And then there's the listening factor. I can say whatever I want. I can think it through and try to be the voice of reason. But, in general, the population refuses to accept criticism. It offends them to be bothered with another perspective. The cognitive dissonance pushes them into anger and potentially ruins a relationship. People don't like to be wrong. Even if you're not asking them to admit to being wrong, they hate the idea of being in that state. They hate it so much that ignorance is their only medicine.

We, as human beings, cannot possibly be equal or get everything we want. We can never avoid failure or making mistakes. It's just going to happen. This attitude of "it's my life and I'll do what I want" is both satisfying and harmful. It's all a matter of balance, critical thinking, and patience. And without patience, we're destined to never learn from our errors.