This will either make perfect sense or no sense...
Probably based mostly on how often you come across similar things in your own life.
"People are like that because they're just brainwashed sheep" isn't a reason. It's something that you should outgrow at worst in college. Preferrably high school. It's the intellectual equivalent of sneering at your parents because you're fifteen and have it all figured out.
"X happens because group Y is lazy/stupid/not as cool as me" is also not a reason. It's actually worse than the above. If you can give reasons why this is true? Awesome. But so often that's the end of it.
If a lot of people like something and you don't? That's fine. But ninety plus percent of the time it's just because you have different tastes. It's not because you're any better, smarter, better educated, or more clever. And please god, don't try to make it about that. Then you're that guy. Don't be that guy.
In fact, every once and awhile you're the one who doesn't actually get it. Keep that in mind. Everyone will be happier. For example, if you and three friends are watching Buffy and they all laugh when this exchange happens:
Giles: We few, we happy few
Spike: We band of Buggered
And you think "That's not funny, why are they laughing at some guy talking about how screwed they are? That's stupid!" Congratulations, you're the ignorant dip who doesn't know the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V and how the character changed it from an inspirational to doomsaying with one word. If you keep such possibilities in mind you likely won't annoy everyone with a sneering comment that lets everyone know that, at least for that moment, you're the ignorant dip.
Also, in all honesty, snarky comments about things you know about are way funnier.
On a related note, realize that as snarky or dismissive as you're being about something or someone there's a good chance someone else can do it better if they are so inclined. Which isn't that important until you remember it might be the person you're targeting with your attitude, directly or otherwise. Or in other words, don't get into a "Yo mama" fight with a guy who has figured out you're actually sensitive about your mother's drinking problem and then push him until he takes the gloves off. You'll feel bad, and so will he when he thinks about how he made you cry. Then he's gonna feel guilty about that rush of perverse pleasure he got making you cry. And you're still crying. So really, everyone loses.
These are all good things to realize. If nothing else, the more people that understand this the better my day goes. And really that's what it's all about.
Me.
Kidding.
Sorta.
"People are like that because they're just brainwashed sheep" isn't a reason. It's something that you should outgrow at worst in college. Preferrably high school. It's the intellectual equivalent of sneering at your parents because you're fifteen and have it all figured out.
"X happens because group Y is lazy/stupid/not as cool as me" is also not a reason. It's actually worse than the above. If you can give reasons why this is true? Awesome. But so often that's the end of it.
If a lot of people like something and you don't? That's fine. But ninety plus percent of the time it's just because you have different tastes. It's not because you're any better, smarter, better educated, or more clever. And please god, don't try to make it about that. Then you're that guy. Don't be that guy.
In fact, every once and awhile you're the one who doesn't actually get it. Keep that in mind. Everyone will be happier. For example, if you and three friends are watching Buffy and they all laugh when this exchange happens:
Giles: We few, we happy few
Spike: We band of Buggered
And you think "That's not funny, why are they laughing at some guy talking about how screwed they are? That's stupid!" Congratulations, you're the ignorant dip who doesn't know the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V and how the character changed it from an inspirational to doomsaying with one word. If you keep such possibilities in mind you likely won't annoy everyone with a sneering comment that lets everyone know that, at least for that moment, you're the ignorant dip.
Also, in all honesty, snarky comments about things you know about are way funnier.
On a related note, realize that as snarky or dismissive as you're being about something or someone there's a good chance someone else can do it better if they are so inclined. Which isn't that important until you remember it might be the person you're targeting with your attitude, directly or otherwise. Or in other words, don't get into a "Yo mama" fight with a guy who has figured out you're actually sensitive about your mother's drinking problem and then push him until he takes the gloves off. You'll feel bad, and so will he when he thinks about how he made you cry. Then he's gonna feel guilty about that rush of perverse pleasure he got making you cry. And you're still crying. So really, everyone loses.
These are all good things to realize. If nothing else, the more people that understand this the better my day goes. And really that's what it's all about.
Me.
Kidding.
Sorta.
posted by Jack at 12:53 AM
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