The Governing Singular “I”
I don’t know about you, but where I live, we have seen an enormous uptick of people running red lights and stop signs over the last year or so. Just this morning, I was headed out to pick up my husband at the car dealership where he was dropping off his car for service and a brand-new luxury gray Land Rover SUV drove right through the red light at the end of our street — at least six car lengths after his light turned red. The person at the head of our line with the green light saw him coming, realized he was not stopping, and waited. He wasn’t speeding or driving recklessly like some I have seen. He just didn’t stop. It could have caused a fatality if the person leading our inbound line of cars did not stop and wait.
In our neighborhood, there is a three-way stop sign within view of our yard. We have a constant stream of cars speeding down the road and not stopping at the stop sign. It happens all day, every day. One neighbor and I have been trying to work with the town to get some help before we have a tragic accident. We have written emails, made phone calls to the town supervisor and the sheriff’s department, and tried to raise awareness of this issue. We try to get road patrol to issue tickets and the town to install speed humps. The town has not answered any email I have sent them for over a year. Road patrol sets up an empty car and goes off and does other things — all that does is piss off the offenders. They drive even faster and blow through the stop sign on their second pass from wherever they have been. Many of these people don’t live in our neighborhood but use our streets as a pass through to avoid traffic and lights. Many of these drivers are older people who have lived here for years and think the stop sign is a waste of time because they remember a time when there was no three-way stop at the intersection.
These are just a couple examples of what we see on a larger scale from the tweets on the local county fire and accident account. So many accidents caused by people failing to obey a light or stop sign. There are many fatalities resulting from these actions. Yet, people blame the way the streets are configured because “there are accidents at that corner every year”. But it’s not the intersection that is rising up and causing people to disobey the signals and signs — it is the drivers. Not the cars either — it is the drivers. It is those behind the wheel who are responsible for their speed, their awareness, their actions.
The question is why. Why, after years of having these signals and signs in place do people now feel that they do not have obey them to such a high degree? Is it lack of awareness or negligence? Are people in that much of a hurry that they don’t have time to follow the rules? Or is it in line with the total disregard that we see for others (and human life in general) across all segments of society. We live in a time where people feel that they are the only one that is important, and everyone needs to acquiesce to them and their needs, wants, and do what they say. As if they have the only voice and have the right to express themselves in any manner they see fit.
We are living in a time of the “Singular “I””. This is a time like none other that we have seen — where the Singular “I” has taken over. The Singular “I” is one who makes the rules. That Singular “I” defines the hierarchy in our world where we are at the top. Wherein each of us, as an individual, have the right to govern our actions only by what we feel is important and act according to the rules that we establish and see as just. It is truly defined by the old sayings “you aren’t the boss of me” or “you can’t make me”.
This is not a generational label of the kind we use when we speak of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, or Millennials. This is a societal shift in consciousness that has to do with how we see ourselves in the world. It crosses over all socio-economic groups. This is not about political divisions nor working groups. Age is not a factor as the young and old alike show signs of the Singular “I” mentality. Yet there are emotions that feel very shared and common amongst those with the Singular “I” mindset — that is impatience, frustration, and anger.
As a society, we have developed a deep hatred and outward rage for those that do not think like we do. As a Singular “I”, we do not want to have anyone else impart their thoughts or wisdom on us. The Singular “I” knows everything related to their own individual microcosm which they have created and that governs their own way of being in the world. There is no room for critical thinking or debate. Anything and everything not in line with their own Singular “I” is promptly rejected, and venom is spewed at others who do not see the world on their terms. That includes family, friends, co-workers, social media contacts, and strangers.
You may say to me “the Singular “I” theory is quite a stretch from your annoyance with people running signal lights and stop signs. Don’t you think you are blowing this out of proportion?” To you I would say — look around. Take a really good look. Look at your own behavior and those of your friends and family. Closely examine what is happening in the towns and cities you live in. Read, without bias, the news articles and social media posts that come across your feed. What do you see? What feelings do they bring up in you? Can you see where the Singular “I” is present in others as well as yourself? Watch what happens the next time you or another driver has in obey a traffic signal or stop sign — you will likely find the Singular “I” displayed in full force.
