One of the things I have noticed most in my life about being a pacifist is that I try not to offend others or hurt their feelings. I have a tendency of keeping my opinions to myself sometimes and just sitting and nodding my head in agreement with someone, when in reality I don't agree with what they are saying. It avoids confrontation and it spares hurt feelings on their part.
It amazes me, though, and the number of people in my life that seem to enjoy tearing down what they know I believe in or support. If their political views are opposite of mine and they know it, they will run my views into the ground and wait for the reaction I try not to give them.
When it comes to sports and who I am a fan of, I have several family members that do their level best to tear down my favorites and try to engage me in a battle of words. Again, I try hard not to give them the satisfaction of letting the know they are truly pissing me off.
Is their life so uneventful that the only enjoyment they get out of it is trying desparately to tear others down and try to set up arguments with them? Do they enjoy hurting the feelings of others as a self serving means of satisfaction?
Am I just being overly sensitive? Probably, I do tend to wear my feelings on my shirt sleeves and expose them to all, but I still don't understand the enjoyment people get out of deliberately trying to hurt others.
Life continues to be a mystery.
2 comments:
I learned the hard way to keep my opinions to myself in Rushville. If you're in business in Rushville and depend on the locals for your livelihood, and express an opinion that differs with your customers, out of spite those customers will drop you like a rock. You have to keep your mouth shut in Rushville as a businessman, unless your customer base is out of town, then your business is safe. I've held my tongue so many times I've practically bitten through it.
Aloha from Paradise. I am retired and living in Hawaii, after s 40 year career on the mainland as a litigation lawyer.
It is a cultural tradition in many island communities not to engage in face to face confrontations since on an island that really rocks the boat, so to speak.
Disputes are handled through a third party who relays messages until a truce is declared.
Hawaii is a cut above. The Spirit of Aloha is an integral part of the culture and of the law only in Hawai'i.
Everything here is transformed by that spirit. That is why I choose to live here.
It is impossible to communicate it to someone who has not been here, but like love it is ineffable and holy.
Examples abound.
The first time I visited Hawaii< I was driving a rental car in Hilo on the Big Island when I stopped at a red light in traffic.
My mind wandered and I forgot where I was. Some minutes later I snapped, looked back in my rear view mirror, and saw a line of cars behind me for as far as I could see.
No one ever honked.
Post a Comment