Hey y’all! I hope you are doing good. I’m doing pretty darn fine myself. I am still learning Korean slowly but surely. However, there is something bugging me. Hajima (하지마) which means don’t do it, was one of the first phrases I learned. You’ll see it a few other times in this post because right now there are a lot of things I can use that word for. I’m not sure where we all went wrong, and I am including myself in this problem because I know we are all guilty of this in some way or another. You are probably wondering what this terrible thing I’m accusing our society of is……. Well…… Let me tell you a little bit about it, because if no one else is gonna say it, I am.
It’s actually a huge problem that comes in many shapes and sizes but as a whole it all comes down to one word…. Respect. Mostly respecting others, also respecting ourselves! When did we decide it was not longer necessary to be respectful to others. When did we decide that if we don’t like someone then we need to make sure they know that we don’t. If you are like me you’ll say, “well, if they want me to respect them they should respect me” because that’s my go to phrase when someone calls me out on being disrespectful. However, think about this for a second; if we have no intentions of respecting someone until we feel they’ve “earned it” then why the hell should we automatically expect them to show us their respect. I’ve noticed a few different ways this lack of respect is effecting our society.
First: Going through life with a sense of entitlement….하지마. Seriously, we need to stop. I think we as a society (and calm down, I’m not singling you out or blaming you and I’m talking about myself as well) have developed a sense of entitlement that we are owed something. I’m just as guilty of it as the next person, but I have to take a step back and realize that the world and all the people in it owe me and everybody else absolutely NOTHING. If you’re waiting for life to be handed to you on a silver platter then you will be waiting for a very long time. Trust me, I would know. It’d be nice it worked like that, but it doesn’t. The only thing that we are owed is respect; everyone wants it, but few want to give it.
Second: Hating on people and bullying….. For the love of all the good that’s left, 하지마!! And no; just because you are an adult doesn’t mean it’s not bullying. For realz guys, what happened to basic human decency. When did that stop being a thing. If you hate someone you don’t actually have to tell them how horrible of a person they are. Just because you think it does not mean you should say it. If you hate the person that much why are you even within talking range. Go hang out with someone you like! Also, telling people to go die, or saying that certain people need to die. NOT OKAY. IT WAS NEVER OKAY. I’ve seen it happening way to much especially in Facebook comments. I don’t know how or when that started but 하지마!!!!! I was raised that if you wouldn’t want it to be said to you then you sure as hell shouldn’t be saying it someone else.
I’m about to tell you something that will totally blow your mind. Are you ready????? You can have an opinion about someone and not say it out loud!!!!!!! I know right!!!!!! You can think “wow, that person is a total jerk” without going up to them and telling them “Hey, you’re a jerk” or posting on Facebook about how terrible they are. You can also have an opinion about politics without getting into arguments and letting your hate fires burn. You can also disagree with someone’s opinion and still respect them as a human being with an opinion. It’s totally shocking I know!
Third: Not having respect for yourself……. definitely 하지마!!!! Dude you are freakin’ awesome. You are a total boss, and in a society where respect is almost non existent the least you can do is respect yourself. The world may not owe you anything, but you do deserve to feel good about yourself even though it can be hard sometimes. I think that so many people have so little respect for themselves because there is no one to show them what self respect looks like. If nobody has ever respected them why should they be expected to respect others. We created this problem all on our own, so it is up to us to fix it.
In conclusion, (wow, i haven’t typed that since middle school) we are allowed to have opinions, and we are all going to have our own opinions about everything. You can hate another person’s opinions, and you can hate their actions, but they probably hate some of your opinions and actions as well. I nominate that we bring back respect; especially respecting each other. They say people need to earn respect. I think we need to change that. Respect should automatically be a given, and kindness is what needs to be earned. Hating someone is no excuse to treat them like crap no matter how terrible they are or what they’ve done. Insulting them and being straight up rude, isn’t gonna change them, their actions, or their opinions. It just makes you look like a jagweed.
I’ve always been under the impressions that respect and kindness are one in the same, but I’m starting to realize they are totally different. You don’t have to be kind while you are being respectful. All that respect really comes down to is simply treating others the way you would expect to be treated. Being respectful is just basic human decency. Like my mother always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.” I will be the first to admit that the older I’ve get, the more quiet I have become (hint hint). There are a lot of things that people say that annoy me, and there are lots of people I don’t like. However, I know how it feels to disrespected and trampled on, and I’m sure you do to. I also know that trying to put out fire with fire is going to burn the whole world.
I’m not telling you that your opinions aren’t justified; they are your opinion, and as such they are none of my business and it is not my place to tell you how to think or feel. I’m just saying that we should all try to be a little nicer. There’s enough wrong with our world without us tearing each other down as well. I want the world to be a better place and I think the first step is bringing back basic human decency.
Sincerely,
LifeInspiredByDreams
