"Knowledge will give you power, but character respect." ~ Bruce Lee | mollyb1972's Blog

It's true...

I look around me everyday at the people I am surrounded by and the one thing that is common among them (most - not all) is they lack CHARACTER. They go through life using manipulation, lies, ignorance, etc. for personal gain. Not just for materialistic gain - but to gain control over others. Be that their children. Their spouses. Their friends. A stranger.

It reinforces my desire (yes, desire) to keep my social circle exceptionally small. The sad thing is - so many people are unaware of it. They are unaware that they are the victim of it and worse they are unaware that they are the person doing it. They don't realize that what they are doing is wrong. And their spouses, friends, children, etc, don't realize that they are being wrong.

Is everyone BLIND? How is it possible that society walks around and functions without ever really having their eyes open? How is it that we can all ignore that niggling feeling that something just isn't right about this person or this situation? And how is it that even if they do know somethings not right - they are content to accept it? To not do anything about it? What the hell is wrong with us???

I'm pretty vocal - I'll point that shit out in a hot minute but I am only one person. And maybe I'm fighting a losing battle - but there is no battle within myself because I make mistakes all day long - but I own them and I try to fix them. I don't lie. I don't steal. I take and accept blame when I am wrong. I don't cheat. I try to do the right thing and sometimes it blows up in my face - but I know that I tried. My conscious isn't completely clear all of the time - but it pretty much stays clear because I don't lie to myself about what I've done or ignore the mistakes I've made...I try to go forth and fix them. I am the first to "dime myself out" if I've tried to lie to someone. And - when I do "bad" things - I don't feel good about it. That alone will drive me to try to make it right. But...so many other people do not care. It's OK to them that they shit all over everyone to get what they need. For the love of God (or whatever), at least have the decency to feel bad about it.

And there lies the problem...if we aren't taught to feel remorse for the bad things we do - if we are taught that stomping all over everyone is the way to get things, if we are taught we are entitled and never mind that someone else truly deserves something more than we do - because, oh I don't know, because THEY WORKED FOR IT then there will be no fixing it.

Instead those of us who still have some CHARACTER left within us are a rare breed indeed. And that puts this whole damn society in sad and sorry state.

There is a saying, and I can't remember it exactly, but it basically says that what you do in public isn't what defines your character it is what you do in private that defines your character. When no one is looking - how do you act? When no one is there to give you kudos - do you still do the right thing? When you aren't getting all that "attention" how do you act?

I know there are still wonderful and good people out there - I know so. But the more people I meet the less people I want to know.

Have a great day!

~M~