It's a simple grievance and one that is unlikely to be seen very often.
My grievance is with "us." Bear with me.
We sit here, railing on other people like we're better than everyone else, and trust me, I am as guilty as the next guy, as last year's "lowest common denominator" rant is Exhibit A.
But we're not.
We see ourselves as better than others, whether we're smarter, or better looking, or don't make fools of ourselves in public, or a long list of things that make us better than "those others" who are below us on the cosmic food chain. We look down at people because they are not as financially well-off, fail to realize that their smoking habit is unpleasant to us, or any of countless other reasons, most of which fall into simply being shallow.
When you get down to it, we're not better than them.
We're all assholes, either based in a sense of superiority, vanity, or whatever reason we view ourselves as better than others. We all exhibit traits that we loathe in others, whether it is cutting someone off in traffic, laughing at someone when they have a misfortune, being rude to another person for no reason, or whatever. Worse is that we just wrap it up in the comforting rationalization that we should not be inconvenienced or are simply a better person than the target of our actions.
Do we do anything about it? No.
Do we even know we are doing it? Almost certainly not.
If we're aware of it, do we do anything about it? No, which is the worst sin of all.
What does that make us? Worse than those we look down our noses at.
Quit fucking up. That goes for all of us.
I'm totally going to pin myself in a feat of strength. I'll show me!
Posted by: | December 20, 2007 at 02:28 PM
Brilliant stuff, right there. Admitting you're an asshole is 90% of the battle. I know.
Posted by: Ed Kranepool | December 20, 2007 at 02:34 PM
Been waiting 5 years for him to admit it Ed. 'Bout damn time. Good stuff DSG.
Posted by: timgod99 | December 20, 2007 at 05:27 PM
Yeah, but...but...but...well, ok, you're right.
Posted by: Billy | December 22, 2007 at 12:37 AM
Fuck that. I'm better than some grown ass dude who gets his kicks with little thai boys.
I will not argue about that!
Posted by: jackie | December 22, 2007 at 06:23 PM
As Jackie seems to suggest, the argument does eventually break down. "We" are better "them". You just need a more concise definition of "them".
Posted by: Phil | January 03, 2008 at 05:37 PM