Does the unkindness in the world ever get you down?

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

Sometimes when I think about how unkind people are to one another, I start to feel depressed.  I get so sick of it, but I cannot escape it.  I see it depicted constantly in all media.  Unkind people just do not make any sense to me at all.  It is like those who are nice and those who are mean are not even the same species.  I start to see the unkind as not people at all.  They are just monsters to me.  Like vampires or something.  

[Gourgeist 262]

I am very cynical and constantly feel like killing people because of how much asshats they can be to each other. You're not alone and I know how you feel.

[An Old Head 4,816]

@@Shawn Parks you sound like someone who would absolutely love this here subreddit. It's full of situations where people attempt to be douches, but then receive justice. Some stories you can honestly salivate at. Really makes a day better.

 

http://reddit.com/r/justiceporn (It's SFW, despite the word Porn in the URL)

 

I don't often dwell on the negatives of life such as unkindness. Never gets me anywhere Instead I'll enact scenarios in my head of those kinds of people getting punched in the face or something of the sort. Or just read the above subreddit.

[GeneralDirection 1,057]

I don't see unkindness more than I see laziness, arrogance, and stupidity. Can't let 'em get to ya though. They'll just drag you down with them. Working as a cashier has helped me to learn how to deal with all sorts of people. Some days I even feel sorry for these people...most days I don't though.

[Dimitri Hammer 3,645]

I've been part of this unkind world. We all have essentially. No one is a saint, but yes I do sometimes get cynical, but not extremely cynical.

My depression stems from other sources. I've contributed to the unkindness of the world. Done heinous things to people out of anger without even knowing who the person was really.

 

You can't let the world get to you though. Is how things are, and it sucks that it will never change. But you can always be optimistic and be the kindest you can be. Don't let others bring you down because they're not you. Only you can determine your emotions. Never dwell on the negative aspects, and instead think about the better parts of life. Coming from me I have been through a lot of hardships, and I'm remaining optimistic.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Dimitri Hammer

[Scootalove 10,689]

Sometimes it does get to me. I'm always a positive person unless, something bad happens. Ever since I went to Junior High and High School, I started to lose my smile because of a lot of unkind and ungrateful people in the school. I usually never let it get to me, but that was until I completely lost my smile.

I don't let it get to me anymore because I stopped caring about it, so no it will never .. everrr!... get .. me .. down .. again!

[glacialchill 17]

I know exactly how you feel. I often try to ignore such thoughts, as they keep me awake at night if I dwell on them for too long. 

 

All I can really say is that when people act like that, they have their own reasons for it. Perhaps their reasons don't make sense to us, and maybe not even to them, but they exist. All you can really do is to be the better person and take comfort in doing so. Look through bad things that happen, find why they happen, and act avoid getting yourself in such a situation. Live your live the best you can, and don't let others drag you down.

[Potato Sprout 109]

Yeah, it does... I'm kind and nice all the time, noone is nice all the time. But this unkindness has pretty much forced me to stay home from school. There is tons of times I just wanna punch some people in the face but I don't really do it since I'm way to scared to do it.

[Stellafera 3,836]

Does the kindness in the world ever bring you up?

 

For every nasty thing people do, there's always somebody out there doing a kind act. I see little moments of caring all the time. I think on the whole, people are honestly a lot nicer than they think they are.

 

I used to be cynical. I've been raised surrounded by cynics, in fact. My family, my friends, almost everybody I know, really. But maybe I'm lucky, maybe I'm right, I don't know, but what I've seen (and I admit that I am sheltered, young, and priviledged) has made me an idealist. I think almost everybody, no matter how sick and twisted they become, just wants to do the right thing, you know? I find it extremely hard to hate anybody. 

 

There's some boys in my class who are generally considered boorish, annoying, and dim-witted. And, at least with the first two traits, they are. But they are actually pretty nice to me. Not friends, but not mean. And I think it's because I might be one of the only people who treats them with respect and doesn't talk down to them. I'm a straight A student who loves learning and likes most of the teachers. I'm supposed to be exactly the sort of person that should have some sort of rivalry with them, but I don't. I may disagree with them, but they're people too, with real feelings and real concerns. That's why I can't hate them, and why there's almost nobody that I can really hate.

 

I've seen the view left and right that cynicism is the grown-up view. That if I don't think people are horrible, I'm missing out on humanity. I'm only 13. Maybe they are right. 

 

Or maybe everything's a little rosier than the cynics think. 

[Gears of Halo Duty V 394]

How can people treat others like they are nothing? How can this actually be a reality? Maybe the unkind are monsters, maybe they are not. It doesn't matter how you see them. Patton Oswalt said it best in his Facebook status regarding the Boston Marathon Bombings, and if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do. It just might restore a little bit of faith in humanity.

 

[angrysalamence 49]

To be honest, no. I usually keep my head above the clouds and am very jolly. There are sometimes when some people act like jerks and get me down, but I always spring right back up.

 

If you want to do well in this cruel world, you need a joyful attitude towards life. I learnt this from life... when life gives you something, seize the chance and never let go!

 

That is my teaching to you my friends. =)

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

  On 2013-04-28 at 7:18 PM, Stellafera said:

Does the kindness in the world ever bring you up?

 

For every nasty thing people do, there's always somebody out there doing a kind act. I see little moments of caring all the time. I think on the whole, people are honestly a lot nicer than they think they are.

 

 

Yes, it does.  I just get depressed because I know that I will always have to deal with the unkindness.  I cannot avoid it.

 

I do wonder about the ratio of kind to unkind in humanity.  I doubt that it is one-to-one, for every unkind act there is a kind act.  I often wish that I could figure out the real ratio.  If I were to walk into a room with 100 people, how many of those people are likely to be bullies?  It would be nice to know the numbers, but I have never really seen any statistics like that. 

Edited April 28, 2013 by Shawn Parks

[Celtore 2,770]

I've accepted the world as an unkind place but I fight as hard as I can against the world trying to drag me down with it. I hold a very realistic view when it comes to all the nasty things in the world, my journalism program did a great job enlightening the evils of the earth rather than discussing the good deed doers.

 

There is one particular thing about journalism to remember though, tragedy sells. You hear stories of sadness, death, torture and corruption quite often in the news because it's what brings in the most money and it sometimes leaves a big impact on the reader. In many tragedy stories, there are also helpers behind the scenes trying their best to make things better. That can be around 20+ people to a very small number that did the dasterdly deed in question and they should actually be the primary focus of the story.

 

There are also many unsung heroes that never meet any media coverage for their actions, possibly even because it got filtered out. I'm out of journalism for good and I do my best to lead every day with a smile. There are kind people in the world, they just have to be found.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Celtore

[Guest]

No, not really. I take it all in stride and recognize that people are not perfect and life isn't perfect, either. You just have to take life one day at a time.

[~Silver Essence~ 2,625]

Sometimes, but then again, the world is a cruel fate on itself.

We just have to learn to deal with this kind of stuff no matter how painful it is.

I got so used to seeing so much pain and suffering in the world, it's kinda the reason why I look serious at times.

But just remember, that there are those willing to help and be nice to others like me.

I won't let the world stop me no matter how depressing it may be.

[Shanks 10,816]

Yes it sometimes can, but there is also a lot of good in the world too despite the bad it is just that we don't hear about it as much because it dosen't tend to make headlines. I think that we need to stop waiting for a savior that will never come and take responsibility for what is going on, sure one person can't do everything but if we all do a little bit than that little bit can add up. I have seen firsthand that people doing what they can even if it is not much can make all the difference, when I was diagnosed with Autism my mother was determined to make sure I got the help I needed.

 

So she got together with other mothers and they started several successful local programs that have helped me and several others with Autism realize our full potential and this was only a few people that saw a need and were willing to work hard to make it happen. Imagine if millions of people did this, they saw an injustice or a need and decided to get together and do something about it this has happened before in history with the abolitionist movement and the civil rights movement and I don't see why it couldn't happen again.

Edited April 28, 2013 by EarthbendingProdigy

[Mountain Tom 0]

Everyone's a jerk in their own special way. People like that can range from cutting you in line to stealing all your stuff in a video game to getting framed for a life in prison. There are several ways to combat the downers in life. You could, of course, fight back, but this is barbaric, hypocritical, and it ,makes you look like a jerk. You could try ignoring/avoiding people like that, but that sometimes never works. There are really only two good solutions to your problem. You could either surround yourself with friends and family who feel the same, or accept what others say or what else happens. Usually, if you hold your head high and think about a better future, you can take on anything. Life is only as bad as you make it.

[Michael DeSanta 258]

I think in this world kindness is underrated quite a bit. There are a lot more kind people out there than we care to think I think it is in the most unlikely places we find kind people. I mean think of it really how the world is it is one big mess of a place lol.

[Zygen 6,066]

Ill be honest I went through a big depressive state over this partly, the fact that it felt like I couldn't trust anyone and there was just unkind people and untrusty worthy people all around, that depressed me.

 

However I've got better and become more optimistic, and I've even discovered people who seem nice, however I've still yet to have a strong connect or any real connection much with anyone, since I'm still a bit skeptical at trusting people, I'm just not one to open up until I know for sure I can trust someone, so I've been out of any real good friendships lately for a while.

 

Sometimes I'll have days where I get kinda depressed again, partly for the unkind behaviors of the world, and partly for not feeling as if I have people and friends who care for me, and partly for other reasons, however it's never really been as bad as It was back when I had my big depressive time, so overall I've been better and met people whove restored my faith in humanity a bit.

 

That said I don't exactly hate any of them exactly, I might have some anger over them and their actions, but I don't think I really ever hated them, I find it hard to hate people a lot of times due to the fact I can be sympathetic towards even people doing unkind deeds, simply because I know there's probably a why and there probably hurting inside theirself.

 

This can be quite the depressing society we live in at times.

[Princess Lona 382]

I flip flop between optimism in the face of unkindness and being completely emotionally destroyed by it. My best advice is to revel in the days when you can be happy, and be kind to yourself on the days when it gets you down. I used to try really hard to be happy all the time despite the cruelty of the world, but it was exahsting. Now I acknowledge my sadness when it comes and that makes it pass more quickly so I can get back to spreading joy. I think this strategy combines the realism of cynicism with the hope of idealism for the best of both worldviews.

[Virulence 254]

There is always unkind people. Yes they always get me down. Mainly immature teens that don't respect elders. That really drives me crazy. Respect one another, please.

[Princess Lona 382]

  On 2013-04-29 at 2:26 AM, Immortal Rarity said:

There is always unkind people. Yes they always get me down. Mainly immature teens that don't respect elders. That really drives me crazy. Respect one another, please.

I don't think you should respect all of your elders just because they are older than you. Yes, young people can be disrespectful at times, and often they are doing it just to be mean. That is bad behaviour. But I don't believe in continuing to respect people who have shown they don't deserve it. This includes my elders. Unfortunately there are many MANY adults who are mean, abusive, and tyrannical to those younger than them. They think they can act this way because of the "respect your elders" rule. I respect people who I don't know yet, and people who have shown respect to me after we have met. But if someone disrespects me, young or old, I stop respecting them.

[Unpredictable Ranger 696]

Yes, unkindness do weigh me down because most of them turn me away from happiness, and I don't need to elaborate on this because it'll change my mood from normal to suicidal.

 

Whoa, @Shawn Parks! While I know that unkind anyones are unkind (excuse me for the redundancy), but equating another creature with unkind humans is totally set off-tangent there. I agree that unkind people are just inhuman, but there's nothing that can be equated with unkind people but unkind people themselves, not equal to other creatures like vampires or dwarves or others.

 

  On 2013-04-28 at 6:32 PM, Shawn Parks said:

I start to see the unkind as not people at all.  They are just monsters to me.  Like vampires or something.

[Ghost 173]

  It used to get me down a lot, but now I try not to focus on it as much.  There are tons of kind people out there, but they don't get as much attention as those who are unkind.  Just look at local news and how much time is devoted to homicides, robberies etc...

 

  I just try and focus on the positive instead of being pessimistic like I used to be.  

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

some days yes.. but I don't let it change me in to some kind of a monster. No, I keep being nice even to those who wish to treat me like crap and even make me feel like crap. I keep going and I keep being nice to everyone.. its just the right thing to do.