Jaynee — I took a few days to think about your question because it’s extremely relevant to today’s society, and to be honest, rather complex.
You know, I wouldn’t really blame anyone for ignoring the situation and the behavior you described, pretending that it’s not happening, telling themselves that it’s not worth the trouble. Like you said, you have to get along with these people for the sake of your own career and success. At the end of the day, it’s work…and we work to make money. I wouldn’t hold it against you for protecting yourself and your own livelihood. After all, it’s a tough world out there for most of us.
It’s somewhat unfortunate, but I’ve come to understand that it’s purely up to me to stand up for myself, and for what I believe is right. I may be a minority, but I certainly don’t see myself as a victim, or as someone who’s entitled to righteousness. I just don’t think my personal circumstances really matter that much to anyone else. Mainly because they’re too busy worrying about themselves. I mean, isn’t it just ingrained in the human psyche to see the world as us versus them? To pick sides in order to survive?
Having said that, there are opportunities every day for us (regardless of ethnicity or color) to create a better life for those around us. It’s about inviting the new kid to your lunch table so he doesn’t have to eat alone. Becoming friends with the fat, or skinny, or short kid who gets made fun of everyday by the cool kids. It’s all that stuff we saw and experienced back in grade school. It’s just in the office now, you know, instead of the classroom.
I believe in taking the time to befriend others, to truly want to understand them as people, and to just forget about all the superficial things that mean nothing at the end of the day. I think that helps us become better individuals. And, I think that translates to us creating a better society.
Honestly, the key to all this is within our own hearts. I think it’s about happiness and satisfaction with our own lives, and confidence in ourselves. If we would just become more comfortable in our own skin, and happier with our place in life, we wouldn’t have to demean others to make ourselves feel better. And, it’d be a helluva a lot easier to treat others the right way.
