Respect in Retrospect
In the last couple of weeks we’ve seen quite a few examples of the crumbling decency of our culture. Where has our respect gone? Rep. Joe Wilson allowed himself the momentary satisfaction of an emotional outburst at President Obama during a speech. Now the words “you lie” have become a catch phrase and while it isn’t the first time a President has been heckled (not even for this President) it is the first time a member of Congress has done so during a session.
Over the next few days the media frenzied around Serena Williams’ behavior at the US Open and then again when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards.
These are just a few displays of the complete lack of respect and compassion that is becoming the norm in our society. There’s a thick, bold line between dissent and disrespect. There’s nothing wrong in disagreeing with someone but it’s the manner in which you display your polarity that reflects your true nature. We seek out opportunities to ridicule and disparage each other without a care. Every bad act was the product of a bad decision and we have the ability to decide whether or not to destroy the spirit of another.
“Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister.”
“I feel that the essence of spiritual practice is your attitude toward others. When you have a pure, sincere motivation, then you have right attitude toward others based on kindness, compassion, love and respect.”
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama
It is because of our now technology that allows and encourages instantaenous comment on anything anytime, anywhere. Good, bad or ugly people want to comment to get a laugh or just get their thought out there with almost no repercussions or at the least, as they say, no press is bad press.
Your response reminds me of a comment I left on another blog (chrisbrogan.com) about the exact same thing. In essence, I couldn't agree with you more.
Here's the comment I left:
“Treating people with loyalty, respect, kindness, sincerity, and generosity is the only way to improve the state of our social dynamic. I think anytime a face-to-face interaction is an option it should be preferred. Often times, in today's society, we choose the “one off” approach when communicating. It's almost as if we would rather keep people at arm’s length, so to speak. When a face to face isn't available, try picking up the phone. That extra effort to make it a personal interaction makes a significant difference.
As we become more dependent on technology-based communication we risk sacrificing the emotional element that helps us define our aesthetic and character. Admittedly, I'm an internet fiend but I also understand the importance of true personal interaction; words, expression, sentiment and feeling – all so crucial to our mental and emotional development and well-being.
You can quote me on this: Kindness is like wasabi; a little goes a long way. But unlike wasabi, kindness never hurts.”