Why Is Everyone Being So Mean?

It all begins with a simple post, like this one:

Funniest part is that it should say "you're"!

I love these, so every time I am on Facebook and I come across one I'm hooked. I read carefully, I come up with my answer, read the riddle again for confidence and then I dive into the comments to see what everyone else got.

And that's when it happens.

Every single time.

The masses disappoint me.

Why does everyone have to be so mean to those who guess incorrectly? Here are some of the statements from tonight's comment section:

• " It's Mary. You people are idiots. Mary's dad had 5 daughters. It names 4. Mary is the 5th daughter. I just lost all hope in humanity."
• "MARY...you morons...!!! Read it...'Mary's father...'"
• "Mary duhhh" (this one might not be malicious)
•  "Mary... dumbasses"

I won't go on. I think you get the picture. I just don't understand why we feel the need to berate each other in these situations. First of all, these are supposed to be fun. I think everyone knows that this is not what determines whether or not your IQ is at genius level. Secondly, does anyone truly believe that everyone reads their Facebook News Feed with 100% of their attention? But, most importantly, are people not allowed to make mistakes anymore?

This type of behavior - berating others when mistakes are made - is something that I would not tolerate in my classroom. I celebrated mistakes. How do we learn without making mistakes? I read and reread riddles like this one, because, in the past, I was caught by one. I learned from that. I smile at all the people who write "Nunu" as their answer, because I imagine it is their first time seeing this type of riddle. I know they'll kick themselves when they realize why they are wrong and, I imagine that they'll laugh when they realize it, like I did. 

 How are people supposed to laugh when they are being called "an idiot," "a moron," or "a dumbass"?

I don't know if this hits me especially hard because of my history in the classroom. I don't know if it is because I know that this is how children behave before they learn how harmful it can be. And I don't want to berate these people for making a mistake, themselves, in the way they treat people they don't even know. However, I wish that they could learn from these mistakes and not get so twisted because a complete stranger made a silly mistake on a riddle in a Facebook post.

 To love one another is so very simple, I know some day we'll all get it.

Thank you so much for reading!

And just remember...

 

 

My First Earthquake

"Are you shaking your leg?"

"No, Bob. I am not doing that. Are you sure it's not your game?"

"They're probably just working on that driveway again today."

I continue reading as the couch continues to shake beneath me. I hear the china rattle. "No, really? That's not you?!"

I'm finally upright going toward the china cabinet as I feel my whole house shake around me. I push it toward to wall as I watch a plant on a decorative table next to me continue to wobble.

"What the heck is it? Do you see anything out there yet?" The videogame has been paused as my husband searches the exterior.

We have two dogs. They do nothing the entire time.

It ends. I am confused. So, of course, I take my confusion to the Internet.

Before I can even tell my husband that I have just submitted my facebook query, the responses come flooding in. Affirmations of earthquakes, disbelief from friends in Virginia and Maryland that we, here in New York felt it too, and, of course, because this is a novelty to us here on the East Coast, lots of "Wasn't it cool?!" type of comments.


It was kind of cool, but also kind of bizarre. I remember recently when re-reading the first Chapter of Clan of Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel, I was struck by the unworldliness of the Earthquake experience to one who had never felt it before. I remember thinking to myself, "I might be just as scared and confused. It will most likey be a very unnatural feeling for me." However, it was strangely familiar.

This may be because I was in my home, on the first floor, laying down reading. It may be that if I were to feel a much stronger earthquake, or if I were in a skyscraper, I would still have these unworldly feelings. The feeling I had though, was that of a subway train traveling under my house. It was confusing, that's for sure, but not completely new.

And so, I can happily say, with no harm to home or, more importantly, anyone I love, I can strike this one off my bucket list. It is frighteningly true, that somewhere in the deep recesses of my desires was this inkling that I would have missed out on all that life has to offer if I had never felt the world shake beneath me.

Now, I just have to ready myself for that crazy Hurricane Irene.

How do you prepare for natural disasters?

Is there one type of natural phenomenon that you have yet to experience that you are curious about?

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