Inferiority Is Fueling Superiority
The world used to be so passive. Things like mental illness, different cultures, gender equality, etc. were not taken that seriously. Of course, these are still sensitive, even taboo, subjects in some parts of the world today, but progress is being made. These days, being more accepting and respectful to other people and how they live their lives is seen as a great thing. However, how this is achieved is sometimes being executed poorly. People take this concept of acknowledging others and twist it around for their benefit, or should I say, to make it so they are seen as an oppressed minority or to look like they’re defending one that actually doesn’t need it.
People get so easily offended now. For example, I have a Christian friend who doesn’t support the LGBTQ community. If she posted something stating her viewpoint on LGBTQ people, there would be malicious comments everywhere. People would say “You’re disgusting. Be accepting, it’s the 21st century,” or “You’re homophobic.” They would get so offended without trying to see her viewpoint. In reality, she’s not against the community; she just doesn’t actively support it. It’s not something she understands or is comfortable with. She lets them live their lives while she does the same. There’s no intention of harm and there’s no need for people to get so offended.
A teenager living in Utah named Keziah Daum was at a vintage shop looking for a prom dress. There, she found the dress she wanted to wear for the special occasion. She was pleased with the modest neckline that is a rare trait many prom dresses have today, and fell in love with how, as she describes, “unique and absolutely gorgeous it was.” Now you are probably wondering what the point of this story is. What’s so special about a girl finding a prom dress she likes?
Well it turns out that the dress she loved so much was a traditional Chinese garment (it’s worth noting that Daum is not Chinese). She felt that the dress “really gave [her] a sense of appreciation and admiration for other cultures and their beauty.”
A month later after the dance, Daum posted a photo of her in the dress alongside her friends. She had no idea it would cause such an uproar on social media. The comments were filled with people accusing her of cultural appropriation. “My culture is not your… prom dress,” one Twitter user wrote. Someone else stated that she should not wear the dress if she is not Chinese, that it is not something to play dress up with.
Daum stated she understood where her critics were coming from, but that she did not agree. “Being aware of respecting cultures is one of the biggest things when it comes to this,” she said. “My intention was never to be racist, provocative or (to show) cultural appropriation. I was in fact showing my appreciation for the culture.” People were offended and hateful towards her when she meant no disrespect.
I also recently heard that people were getting offended by others using the term “spirit animal.” They said it was disrespectful to Native American culture. I don’t see why people would get offended by non-Native Americans using this term. In the cases I am talking about, they are just pointing out something that they feel describes themselves. There is no intent of harm or prejudice behind those words being spoken.
When people say someone can’t wear a traditional Chinese dress because they are white, or a child can’t say “that character is my spirit animal” because they are not Native American, it just divides people. If that way of thinking was applied everywhere, everyone would be ignorant to foreign culture. We would not be able to learn about or appreciate each other’s way of living.
“Good morning, America. All your recent talk of gender equality has only shown just how far from woke you really are. Despite best intentions, the current cultural conversation about feminism continues to perpetuate sexism… Inequalities certainly exist, but women have been getting ahead, and doing great things, for a while, in the workforce and beyond. Yet the overwhelming messaging now is that we don’t own our power unless we shout about our woes, and that strong ladies talk a lot about how bad they’ve got it.” Ephrat Livni wrote an article about feminism and how, today, it’s doing the opposite of what it should. She says that advancing womankind by emphasizing that we’re behind, perpetually viewing our lives, careers, and finances as less than they might be if only we weren’t women, seems to do a disservice to all women. She views the #MeToo movement as something that presumes sexual violence is a positive unifying theme for grown women and that it implies women couldn’t manage their jobs, bodies, or colleagues until Twitter and feisty young ladies were finally born and grew up to save us. The cultural thirst for stories on this topic signals to women that their humiliation is fascinating- especially if it involves rich men and their perversions. All the press only titillates a society already enthralled by sex, violence, money, and power.
Of course, this is stated a little harshly. Certainly this was not the purpose of the movement, and while I don’t 100% agree with her, Livni’s points do make you think a little. Feminism is a great thing that can turn into a travesty when executed the wrong way. I see this happening when women claim to be feminists, but are actually just using it as an excuse to treat men like they are lesser than them. They have this need to feel oppressed yet superior at the same time.
Three things: the internet, self-deprecation, and mental illness. They just keep getting more and more relevant to today. Mental illness is being taken more seriously these days, at least for America. People are becoming more aware of what it can do to a person, but for some reason, you see people on the internet, and even in real life, claim they have a mental illness like depression when they don’t (disclaimer: I am talking about people who are falsely diagnosing themselves to get sympathy, or think it’s relatable and adds aesthetic. I am aware that some people actually have a mental illness, but I doubt they would tell the whole world that they do. I hope they get help and I wish them the best). It’s also very common to see people self-deprecate themselves. I do it too sometimes, but it gets out of hand when they start to use this as a personality trait. You can read comments on social media posts where people claim they’re depressed, ugly, and/or don’t have any friends. While I can understand it’s a joke and probably a way of coping with insecurities, I just don’t get why people would want to state things like that as if it defines them. It’s unnecessary when people are claiming to be depressed and lonely for aesthetic purposes, and yet they do it anyway. This spawns from people wanting to be “relatable” or “quirky,” but some people actually have a mental illness or harbor an inferiority complex that they wish they didn’t have to live with.
From accusing people of cultural appropriation, to belittling others and even yourself, why do these things occur? Why do people want to feel like they were wronged? Why do they find pleasure and satisfaction in getting offended?
“Maybe getting offended isn’t all that different from the adrenaline rush a scary movie produces. Finding something offensive can also be a nice boost to the ego. At least I’m not as ignorant as they are. And when something is offensive, it’s always fun to find someone else who is offended by the same thing and commiserate about it. Can you believe they said that? Who on earth do they think they are?” (Torrence). On the surface, we seem frustrated by something we’ve heard, seen, or read. However, some part of us enjoys that feeling. Now more than ever, there are lots of opinions to be read, lots of outrage to feel, and some deep part of us kind of likes it.
Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” says that humans are all striving to reach self-actualization. We are all trying to reach our full potential and be the best we can be. I guess we see being offended and then attacking someone for it as a mechanism to make us feel superior, i.e., better or the best. This is a flawed way of thinking (which I can be guilty of sometimes) and I hope people will improve their thought processes. Tearing someone down won’t make you any better in anyone else’s eyes.
https://www.today.com/style/teen-who-wore-traditional-chinese-dress-prom-faces-backlash-t128426
https://qz.com/1210845/the-subconscious-sexism-of-todays-feminist-movement/
https://www.thindifference.com/2017/06/why-we-want-to-be-offended/
