The Hidden Hypocricy Of Society

Isn’t it really interesting that in the last century, we have really developed as a society. We have demolishing the slave trade, ended woman suffrage, abolished caste system and created equal opportunities for all. We as a society have been focused on creating an environment where everyone feels equal, comfortable to be who they are without judgement or any fear of discrimination. If you go talk to majority of the people they believe that these qualities are really important in order to have a functioning society as without these our society will fail and self destruct. I would like to ask anyone who is reading this post to take out a second and think that are these values of equality, non-judgment a value that we as a society actually hold, or is it something that we desire and try to show but haven’t really developed.

The problem with the whole situation is not that people don’t think that there should be an equal society but is that they individually they are not able to exercise it. Don’t get me wrong, I am not accusing people for discrimination, but just pointing a simple fact that in most scenarios we act the way we do because society wants us to act in that way. In school we are taught to help the poor, to not discriminate against color, looks, etc but in practical life we all, at some point of our life have done so. For example, Wouldn’t you stop your daughter being friendly with an old guy, who seems to be handing her a chocolate, most would immediately pull their daughter away, have you ever thought that this old person is just being friendly, or you could realize that this old person had lost his granddaughter a year ago? No we don’t, I am not accusing someone or saying that everyone does so, but just saying that in most scenario that is the case.

Now think, if a black guy was shouting at you to stop, trying to catch up to you, wouldn’t you run, wouldn’t you have that moment of panic, did you know that he is just trying to return the wallet you dropped 2 streets back. We don’t always think in that manner, because our brains are trained to make a decision based on the information available, personal experiences, experiences of others we know and out experiences as a society.

How many of us have been made fun of for doing things that we like but the society doesn’t think is appropriate for us. Isn’t it tough being the guy in the ballet, being the girl who likes playing soccer, isn’t it thought to face our peers who constantly mock us, or tell us it’s not gender appropriate. We are a hypocritical society, we promote one thing, but on an individual level, we practice another. We have all heard stories like Beauty and the Beast, we have all been taught to appreciate the inner beauty instead of the outer beauty, we all believe in this, we all like to think of ourselves as people who are in sync with the concept, but when it comes down in the real world, how many of you would actually date, marry or even consider a person who is not that good looking, how many of us even give that individual a shot. Well the simple answer is very few if any.

See the cause of this is a very simple concept called “diffusion of responsibility”, although the concept primarily aims to describe why people who are in an environment with other people try to diffuse their responsibility in the way the society wants them to act by thinking that the others would do it, for example helping someone struggling with their bags in a super market. We all preach to the concepts of inner beauty, equality, etc but we either try to to just show it, like in equality or we expect others to obey it like in the case of inner beauty.

We have come a long way as a society and we have an even longer way to go. We as a society have to stop being hypocrites, we need to stop ignoring these problems which are right in front of use and start working towards an even better society. A society where everyone not only practices, believes in equality on the external level but also in the internal level, a society where your looks are not just the only thing that matter, a society where your color, sexuality, life choices are not criticized but accepted and encourages, because these qualities are the ones which separate us from everyone else, and without them we won’t have humans, but just some biological robots.

I am not promoting myself as a person who is above all this, I am as much part of this society as you are, and hence I am too responsible for the problems, I am not questioning anyone, I am not holding anyone responsible. I am just getting my thoughts out there, I am just revealing my inner demons, to reach people in hope of changing myself as well as others around for a better world.