Comments on: A Plea For a Return to Decency

By: Develop Your Reputation | Start Being Your Best

Develop Your Reputation | Start Being Your Best — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:03:34 +0000

[...] few months ago, I posted a bit of a rant called “Return to Decency“. It was motivated by a couple of negative experiences I’d had with some folks who were [...]

By: steveweaver

steveweaver — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:24:20 +0000

My daughter is 22 now. She finished High School (Home schooling) at 16, then moved out of her Mothers house and started supporting herself. Now I'm known to be something of a "hard ass", ex-con and ex-marine, but my integrity is virtually never questioned. My ex-wife remarried one of the most racist, homophobic, OCD individuals to ever drag their knuckles out of a West Virginia cave. I could not do anything about the influences she had at home, but I could counter them when I had her. We went to Pot festivals, Gay Pride rallys, the Bohemian parts of Atlanta and we lived in one of the roughest (meaning poorest, usually) sections of Atlanta when she was with me. She got to see that there was good and bad in all kinds of people and that race, religion and sexual orientation is no indicator of whether a person is good or bad. I Taught her respect for herself and all others, even those we do not always agree with. There IS plenty of decency still out there in the world. Try to remember that decency really boils down to respecting others and even their right to be ignorant.

By: Daniel Edlen

Daniel Edlen — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:59:21 +0000

A big hell yes with regards to the sense of entitlement and fear of failure cultivated by the touchy-feely parenting style that's apparently, hopefully on its way out already. I know I won't raise my kidlet on the way in this manner. My young nieces are so spoiled and coddled that they have to have what the other's having, have to have their way, have to have success handed to them, have to have. No earning, no trying, certainly no "failing". They're in for a hard, perhaps rude awakening as they grow older. I hope.

Peace.
@vinylart

By: Jason D Barr

Jason D Barr — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:54:16 +0000

Glad to hear it! Welcome aboard.

By: Viewtiful_justin

Viewtiful_justin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:19:04 +0000

Yes, yes, and yes. Amen and amen. I'm glad I'm not the only one who believes this stuff is important! I've been saying for a while now that there is more to life than getting ahead. I'd rather be a good person than have a good bank account. And apparently I'm in the minority.

This is the first and only post I've read on your blog, but if this is any indication of what you have to say to the world from you little corner of the internet, then consider me on board!

By: Jason D Barr

Jason D Barr — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:09:08 +0000

I think you're right, spence, about social constructs vs. attitudes. However, my beef with hats in a building (to stick with that example) is the general lack of understanding that that practice would offend some people. I don't think we need to worry about every little thing we do (you can't please all of the people all of the time, right?), but I do think that it's important for people to understand that one's actions have consequences. If you make someone upset 'cause you didn't take off your hat, don't expect them to not hold it against you. It's the entitlement thing again; "I can do what I want, but you need to be nice to me".

I'd be interested in seeing a link to that NYT article, if you still have it. I'm a bit skeptical, too. Thanks for sharing!

By: Jason D Barr

Jason D Barr — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:08:41 +0000

I think you're right, spence, about social constructs vs. attitudes. However, my beef with hats in a building (to stick with that example) is the general lack of understanding that that practice would offend some people. I don't think we need to worry about every little thing we do (you can't please all of the people all of the time, right?), but I do think that it's important for people to understand that their actions have consequences. If you make someone upset 'cause you didn't take off your hat, don't expect them to not hold it against you. It's the entitlement thing again; "I can do what I want, but you need to be nice to me".

I'd be interested in seeing a link to that NYT article, if you still have it. I'm a bit skeptical, too. Thanks for sharing!

By: spence

spence — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:20:07 +0000

For the most part, I agree with you. Some of those things (hats in a building, for example) are just social constructs, like hair styles. Those things change constantly, but don't amount to anything. But the rest are big issues – they do contribute to a sense of entitlement and a self-centeredness that's destructive, both to te individual and to our society as a whole. I read something about ethics in the New York Times yesterday (there's irony for you right there – ethics and the Times…) it was about a group of ivy league grads who have taken a pledge to not be greedy and to do things for the common good above their own. It sounds all noble, but color me skeptical. Will they support a heavy handed government and policies which take from one who earns and gives to one who doesn't? There's that entitlement thing again. It's got deep roots.