Sorry Alex but I wasn't comparing myself to others to feel good about myself, I was comparing myself to a couple of my best friends to prove a point. Which it sounds like you didn't get, which could of been my fault for not stressing the point. And as for not knowing about his life...I've known these guys for over 14 years. My point was not that if you had a job you were morally superior to those who don't. My point was that parenting goes a long way in how you live your life. I've had other friends that were given things they wanted but were still taught "responsibility" and have done well with there lives and are happy. I'm not judging my friends on their material belongings either. I know that they are unhappy with there lives and I feel that it has a lot to do with them not being responsible for there actions because mom & dad bails them out of everything. There mom & dad need to give them some "tough love".
Everyone stereotypes , everyone generalizes, and everyone is prejudice in some way. I do agree with you that generalizations are not always true. I have a very open mind and don't judge people until I get to know them, but I still have a generalization of what the person is going to be like by there appearance before meeting them. I think everyone does, whether they will admit it or not.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 12:56:01 -0500
From: "Alex Harris" <aharris@signcast.com>
Subject: RE: DML: was: not to own lightening now:MORALITY,
Are we done with all the stereotyping? You can't play poker alone, so I'll
play the other hand. Apologize in advance for alienating half the DML! ;-)
It never ceases to amaze me how people have to compare themselves to others
to feel good about themselves. Who cares if the kid in the R/T had to buy it
himself or not? What's he got to do with your life, and what do you really
know about his? Does he somehow validate or invalidate your experience? If
you're satisfied with they way you've done things, let it stand at that, we
don't have to rate ourselves against anyone else's way of life and prove
that our way of doing things is superior to theirs. Why must we assume we
know something about someone else because of generalizations and prejudices?
I'm not going to buy into that proletarian propaganda that kids who have
jobs are somehow morally superior to those who don't, and I doubt that the
majority of rich kids we went to school with turned into lazy bums. Might
make us feel better to think that, but why?
One of the greatest experiences of my life was going through basic training.
People warned me "they take away your individuality!" Yep, sure enough. We
all looked the same, dressed the same, had the same haircut, and the only
way you could know anything about anyone was by... *gasp* ... talking to
them! What a concept. I became friends and made alliances with people I
never even would have talked to on the outside, and it was only then, for
the first time, that I really understood fully the idea that *everyone is
different*. It really woke me up to the prejudging we do in our everyday
lives, and it's a lesson that has stuck with me every day since.
Yeah, we make sense of our world and move into the future by operating on
what we've seen in the past, so in order to make decisions we have to make
judgements based on what we know. But always, always remember that
generalizations are not truth, always be open to the idea that they can be
wrong, and be willing to modify. The world would be a much better place if
we would give everyone an equal chance. Even the rich kids in the R/T's and
Lightnings.
Stepping down off my hiiiiiiiiigh soapbox now, sorry everyone!
- - Alex
> Back in high
> school they were always driving nice new cars, always had the
> designer clothes, etc... Yes, at the time I was jealous, but
> where are they now? They're 26 years old and living at home with
> mom & dad. They usually have about 5-10 jobs a year and are
> always broke...unless mom or dad gives him some cash.
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