Most of us aren’t bad people. We do good things and say the right things in front of the right people. But behind someone’s back, you can say horrifying, terrible things, but it’s okay because you think it doesn’t matter. But the truth is, it does.
You get made fun of if you’re wearing something weird. You get made fun of if you are a different race. You get made fun of if you so much as say the wrong thing. Essentially, people will say mean things if you are at all different. It’s unacceptable.
According to PsychologyToday.com, “Camouflaged or not, these kinds of demeaning jokes about groups have real social impact on our peer citizens.” and from the National Center of Education Statistics, “19% of students indicate that bullying has a negative effect on how they feel about themselves.” So, why do we say these hurtful things? Well, many psychologists and other professionals believe it has to do with one’s reflection of themselves. If a person thinks of themselves poorly, making others feel bad can often make them feel better. When you hear everyday how annoying or ugly you are, you begin to believe it. And a good amount of the time, these comments can come from the people closest to you. According to Dr. Yager with the New York Times, of her recent survey, someone had responded saying friends would call them derogatory and hurtful names, and how those friends treated them still affects them today. Of a survey conducted of 31 people, 19 said they felt hurt by offensive comments and “jokes” their friends would make. This is ridiculous. No one should be afraid of being or doing what they want because of fear of judgement from other people.
So, why do we make fun of each other? It’s a constant, never changing pattern of mean phrases, hurtful jokes, and unneeded, unkind commentary that make our generation so self-conscious and unhappy. If we continue to treat each other this way, we will become people who lack kindness, empathy, or any other basic human nicety. So, please, don’t make that comment, don’t whisper something rude. There’s no need to make someone feel bad about themselves when you could just stay quiet. How are we supposed to be our best self when we constantly fear what others will think?
