Can we label people as if they are cans of soup? |
Millennials admit to being narcissists, but don't you dare call them that
The summary for the article reads:
So-called millennials consider their generation the most narcissistic ever. Older generations agree—but think the narcissism goes even beyond what millennials admit.
Oh my, Not only are boomer parents narcissists, but so are their millennial children. As they say, the sins of the parents are visited on the children.
Which leads me to this point. Is labeling large groups of people a useful, healthy, and spiritually good thing? Think about it for a minute. Is this fair?:
The Irish are a bunch of drunks.
Jews are all greedy userers.
The Poles deserve to be the butt of jokes because they're all dumb.
Blondes are bubbleheads.
Catholic traditionalists are domestic terrorists.
Need I go on?
Each of us is completely unique with our individual vices and virtues. Does a selfish act make a person a "narcissist?" Does a stupid comment make one a "dumbbell?" Does sitting in Church with your bible make you a terrorist? Does supporting Trump make you "a deporable?" Are people as easy to label as cans of soup?
I think it's time to stop labeling people or jumping to false conclusions. C.S. Lewis tells a story about a woman who, walking down the street one morning, sees a friend approaching and looks forward to meeting. The other woman, on seeing her, crosses the street to avoid her. The first woman is deeply and offended. Later on she learns that her friend had her hair in rollers covered by a scarf and was embarrassed to meet anyone she knew looking like that.
How often do we misinterpret something and jump to a false conclusion? I've done it myself -- I'm grieved to think of how often.
There was a woman in my church who rarely smiled and always looked away when our eyes met. I thought she didn't like me. Later on when I headed up the pro-life group in the parish she joined. I learned that she was very shy. We became good friends and often worked together to protect the little ones in the womb. How wrong I was and what a lesson that was and a warning not to jump to conclusions about people and actions that have a variety of possible interpretations.
Let's stop labeling people and just get to know them. I want to be more like G.K. Chesterton and Will Rogers who seemed never to meet a person they didn't like. Perhaps that's impossible, but it is certainly possible to treat everyone we meet with respect and curiosity. What really makes them tick? I suspect even my worst enemy has something in common with me -- one thing for sure: God loves them and desires their salvation. Perhaps I can help achieve that, at least by my prayers. And maybe there are other things that could provide a link that leads to communication. You can't impact someone if you won't talk to them!
May I always remember the Biblical passage: "A bruised reed I will not break and a smoldering ember I will not quench." Also, "Let us love one another in spirit and in truth."
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
The Irish are a bunch of drunks.
Jews are all greedy userers.
The Poles deserve to be the butt of jokes because they're all dumb.
Blondes are bubbleheads.
Catholic traditionalists are domestic terrorists.
Boomers are stupid, which is why they pushed desegregation and immigration. Browns are not human.
ReplyDeleteMy, my...and what should we say about bigots?
DeleteAmerica is only an idea, so the monkeys and turd stains cane have the idea at home. No need to allow them to be here like the boomers thought.
DeleteWow. Saint Martin De Porres took care of a lot of humans....for not being human. himself.
DeleteAs young mom I'd watch my daughter at her sports team practice. I usually sat off to the side because her baby sister was asleep and the other moms were loud and gossipy.
ReplyDeleteOne day one of the moms called me about a team lunch encouraging me to come since I was shy and always sat by myself. Needless to say I was annoyed. I guess she never noticed the sleeping baby. And when baby wasn't sleeping I did sit with the other moms.
Whatever, I ended up president of the club!
So many instances I could tell of being misunderstood. Many, many times it came as a result of some agenda of the other person. I didn't learn that until many years later. I knew what it was like to be labeled unjustly so I avoided doing that myself.
It took me years to realize some labels are appropriate especially when it comes to abuse.