If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace. --John Lennon
There's a lot of angry people in the world. I see it when I'm skipping around in blog world.
For me it's like running full speed towards an open door only to find it was an exceptionally clean sheet plexi glass. SPLAT.
Because I have met so many brilliant, wonderful people, it's so strange to pop over somewhere and see blogs that are just... angry.
For instance, the campaign is over. Posts by people who saw their candidate lose are offering prayers for the candidate who won. And not snarky requests like: "Please pray that he doesn't run our country into the ground". The thoughts are genuine: "Please pray for him and his family, pray that his children will be happy".
Yet some blogs (who have winner buttons plastered all along the sidebar) are still venting everything they've ever hated about Sarah Pallin, President Bush and the Republican Party in general. Holy smokes Batman, what are you so mad at?! You won!
Have you seen what's happening to the Mormons? I can see my comment section already-- people who don't know me and never been here before will now tell me all the sins of the Mormons for supporting Prop8 so nothing I say here will make a difference for you-- you will remain angry regardless. But for my own satisfaction (because this is my place), I will say that THIS Mormon doesn't hate people who have a different belief system and a different outlook on relationships. What I do believe that one of the quickest ways to watch the breakdown of a society is to divide it and that division begins in the family. If we don't protect the family, we might as well prepare to be eventually divided as country. That's my opinion and I'm expressing it because this is my blog. It's what I do here.
Which leads to "the defensive" angry folks. People who show up at a new blog ready to vent about a post or an opinion when they've NEVER visited there before. Wow, ever hear of the Thumper Rule? "If you can't say anything nice, then go read a blog you do like" or something like that.
Angry people are energy black holes.
I would say energy vampire, but I don't want to offend any beautiful vampires I'm currently head over heels for...
They suck the joy, they suck our energy and even when one tries to rise above it, sometimes they still manage to steal some of our time thinking about what they've said.
The older I get, the more I understand where John Lennon was coming from.
Anger kills. It makes people ill. It is rarely productive. Do you think the hockey dad sitting in prison for killing his son's coach would do things differently if he could go back?
I'm singing to the choir, I know this. I was just wondering if you've been noticing or if it's always been like this and my head's just been under a rock.
Angry people, let it go. It's said laughter is the best medicine. So go get happy (HERE click HERE), I'm a dealer today and you know I've never steered you wrong!
I LOVE yer Thumper rule. It is yours, right?
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the Mormons are up to but I come here 'cause I like you. The rest falls where it may.
And vampires. I'm wondering if you've watched True Blood. I'm sure it's unlike the Twilight series, but man, it sure has me hooked!
Happy day and love and flowers and all that good stuff. Oh, oh, chocolate too!
Well Thumper...I totally agree with you!! It's amazing the venemous spew and hate coming from their mouths!
ReplyDeleteSo...sending hugs along your way and hope you have a great day!!
Give peace a chance. Amen and amen to that. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the laugh link too! :D
Oh I hear you. Daily annoyance is one thing - angry people are another completely seperate thing. And I don't get people that just go out and attack people based on an opinion on the whole. Do love the Thumper rule too. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for addressing the angry posts and hateful comments that I've seen littering the blogosphere. Me and a blog buddy were recently attacked by someone who was angry and imho, unstable. Gah. What a waste of energy.
ReplyDeleteI am also a Twilight convert. Read 4 books in 5 days and got absolutely nothing done at home while I was on my vampire fest. LOVED the book - can't wait for the movie.
The link is hilarious... OMG - people don't miss this. The man has the most hilarious laugh I've ever heard. Made me laugh til I cried.
Thanks for that, too.
Thanks for your post ... I've had my fair share lately, to the point I want to quit blogging. I'm sick of the Hate Mongers. However, I have decided to not let them get to me, now that my *delete comments* feature has mysteriously returned.
ReplyDeleteAnd that link is totally HYSTERICAL!
I'm right there with you. I find myself starting to avoid certain blogs because of their level of hate.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! I often wonder if these angry people realize how they come across, or perhaps they see us non-angry people as just a strange group? Oh well...simply exercise the little red X option!
ReplyDelete~AirmanMom returning to her blog...
What a great blog you have here! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI love when you lay it on the line. I agree wholeheartedly. There are times when you can be upset about something, but don't forget to let it go already!
ReplyDeleteI've raised my kids on the Thumper Rule -- IT WORKS!!! I'm no fan of angry people because it can be contagious, or at the very least BORING. EW ICK! I'm a half-full-of-something-delicious-in-the-glass kinda gal. ; )
ReplyDeleteTwilight is about vampires??? All this time I thought is was some Victorian romance.
ReplyDelete1) I seem to like bullets or talking points.
2) I agree with John Lennon (about that--definitely not about everything)
3) "Energy black holes." Couldn't have come up with a better term for that.
4) As for the election, I've seen a bit of anger on both sides, but more from one than the other. (It just may be where I seem to hang out.) But what I do NOT understand about this is that the louder they are, the more someone will hear them, and THEIR OWN PARTY/CANDIDATE/WHATVER is going to do the exact same things they are complaining about eventually. Just shut up! It does not good to spout generalities. (And it drains me to read them.)
What number am I on?
5) Prop 8. The Mormons did not defeat it. The same people that elected the new president defeated it because they came out in droves to vote. 70% of them voted for it.
AND, you are right about the family. Although I do not support laws that legislate morality (because whose morality is it? I think it is dangerous for lawmakers to decide what is moral because one day, what I am doing may be considered immoral by the right person/group), the decline of the family unit is the biggest cause for dyfunctional children in the U.S. More children die from suicide each year by a long shot than have died in the war. Why are they killing themselves? Their families are broken (possibly with two parents still broken). Why are they joinging gangs? Someone loves them there. What is the demographic of incarcerated individuals? People who came from broken homes.
People need to take a look at society and quit complaining and clean up their own acts. The government shouldn't have to do that. But people won't. They will complain.
Oh, and I agree about the "if you can't say something nice" bit. I know this wasn't all exactly nice, but I think we're mostly on the same page, so I thought is was ok.
6) See, I can make a novel out of a comment!
Counterproductive, isn't it? There's a difference between stating your position with passion and energy and just spewing nasty. Some people don't get it.
ReplyDeleteKudos, my good woman. Kudos.
ReplyDeleteAmen, and Amen! I agree with everything you said. The world is way too short to go around being angry at everything. I refuse to do it.
ReplyDeletethis is nice! I like the flow of thoughts... if I didn't remember wrongly, I once heard that "a 10mins anger or jealousy in a person creates poison strong enough to kill a guinea pig!"
ReplyDeleteHe, he! I'm beginning to think that my timing couldn't have been better. I've been on a "Mandatory Hiatus" to finish up some nursing continuing ed credits...which are taking so long I haven't visited the Blogosphere for a very long time. Luckily, as a result, I haven't run into one angry blog..cause I just pop in to visit those I really, really like...who happen to be very unangry people. Anger IS just a black hole that sucks energy from those around the angry people. Know what's kinda ironic? Many of those with perpetual anger? They FEED off anger. So instead of folks like you and me that wither up and want to take a week-long nap after getting angry, they actually fan their own flame and become even more angry and fueled with energy! Crazy, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI tend to study these bizarre things. And get credit for some of it cause I tend to find the interesting, psychological stuff for my nursing courses (except for currently still trying to finish up a course on Congestive Heart Failure) and read up on it and then take a post-test, get credits, and renew my license...all a little more informed on those angry people, or abusive people, or just plain old psychologically unbalanced people. :)
My saying (and I'm sure I stole it from somewhere or someone): "Anger begets anger." Or, "Anger feeds itself."
Oh and let's not forget the angry people in cars and supermarket queues who try to give you their anger or frustration!! Take your angry face and words away from me, mister or miz shouty, I do not want it.
ReplyDeleteOh and let's not forget the angry people in cars and supermarket queues who try to give you their anger or frustration!! Take your angry face and words away from me, mister or miz shouty, I do not want it.
ReplyDeleteJeri for President!
ReplyDeleteI agree - there is too much anger in the world. Let's all focus on the positive not the negative. Maybe we could all help each other!
ReplyDeleteIf only our words could go from our mouths to God's ear. Anger is hate, it is venomous and it is catching.
ReplyDeletebut sadly it is a human trait.
I go to all the sites reccomended by david, and anyone who visits me and so far have not had, or read a comment that did not have something of value to say. Once or twice I have browsed and hit on something that gave me chills and quickly left never to return [paradoxically, one in particular had 72 comments all saying 'go girl'or words to that effect.]
Don't get angry, deep breaths now, that's it, now slowly out. there, all better.
AMEN SISTAH!!!!
ReplyDeleteI must be missing something....HAPPILY missing something that is. Lately I've run into more and more posts about "angry people" and "mean blog bullies", etc. No clue what that is all about but it doesn't sound fun!
ReplyDeleteI may live in my own little world but it's JEANNIE'S HAPPY WORLD!! And that's a good thing!!!!
Stay true to yourself hun, and then you will always be going in the right direction.
You know I had to delete reads that attacked during the election when I did my best to rise above the fray. I am saddened. It's over. Move on. Love you J. You are totally my most favorite Grockle.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen too many angry posts lately, but perhaps I haven't been surfing enough... though honestly, if you don't like what you read on someone's blog, just click away, right? As easy as that, why get oneself tied up in knots over someone else's opinion that you're not likely to change with a few angry/rude sentences!
ReplyDeleteTHIS is your best post. EVER. Not just because I agree with you, but because I can't see anyone DISagreeing with you. Bravo! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteSandi
I get a little scared to comment when it comes to religious beliefs, family values, etc.! But I enjoy reading your blog, and even joined your "following"...so here goes nothing: Judgment of others is not right; that's as simple a statement as I can come up with. Life is difficult, and noone can control how their parents chose to raise them. What an individual CAN do, however, is decide who they want to be and how they want to live IN THAT MOMENT. While we are shaped by our parents, we are not mirror images of them; we still have free will and the ability to choose our actions, reactions, and feelings. I did not come from a broken home, but I chose to create one (there, I confess!) for myself; and ultimately my children and ex-husband. We are better parents, partners, and friends now than we had been for years. While it is not my story book ending, it is what it is. I do not believe that because of this fact my children will end up in jail or a gang, or even addicted to drugs. Actually, I am in jail...on the other side of it, though, as a government employee; with a college education to boot! Lazy/neglectful/hateful/abusive parenting and sometimes extreme life circumstance is what can stray a child to the "dark side". And while this may sound like a defensive diatribe, I am a thoughtful and spiritual person who welcomes any and all religions/beliefs/thoughts into my life. I wish that all of mankind could become so enlightened so as to know that love could/would/should conquer all evil; but how likely is that? I'm going to look at your "funny" link now...me thinks I need a laugh!!! Take care:)
ReplyDeleteoh! And the "thumper rule" is a fabulous one...never heard of it before. I'm off to spread the word!
ReplyDeleteyou are soooo right. actually i hadn't heard about all the stuff happening in California and SLC and even here at a neighboring building until last week...and i was just so distraught over the fact that people would get so angry about something that is so important.
ReplyDeletethe funny thing for me is: i can understand the anger from the homosexual community. i'm sure that if i was on the other side, i would be angry too....but taking it out on a visibly peaceful religious organization is NOT the way to go about it (mostly b/c we won't retaliate...unfortunate for those that want a fight, eh?)
i guess it is just yet another sign of the last days and that the public will turn against the values and the principles that will make or break our country (and the rate that its going: break!)
thanks for the editorial jeri, as always very insightful!
I am sure that we use up more energy being angry than we do when we are nice.
ReplyDeleteI think I avoid controversial issues because I just don't have the stomach for the vitriol anymore. Too much.
ReplyDeletei try to ignore all the hate and blame kind of stuff. being jewish...i get a lot of that kind of thing tossed my way. you gotta keep on keeping on, as someone so wonderfully put it...if only i could remember who.
ReplyDeletewonderful post!!!
xo
This was an excellent post. I absolutely agree with you. I suppose that important things have been accomplished in this world by people who are angry enough to take a stand. But that's not the same thing as hatred, which I think is what you're talking about.
ReplyDeleteThis mormon, like you, cannot think of a person on this planet that he feels hatred towards. Frankly, I think that emotion is incompatible with everything I profess to believe, and hope I convey.
By the way, thanks for the mention and the little piece of blog goodness!
The "Sharon" comment was actually made by me.
ReplyDeleteSurprised?
THanks! I love the thumper rule.
ReplyDeleteFortunatley, I haven't happened upon any of those blogs, but I have kept abreastof the news, and am very saddened by the turn of events in California. My prayers go out to people on both sides of the issue, and yes, I'm also praying for our President Elect. I didn't vote for him, but I think he'll give it his best effort, and that's all we can ask for-no?
I have to admit that I avoid the nastiness as much as I can. There is too much hate in this old world. I don't need it in my bloggy world too!
ReplyDeleteYOu are right about the black holes fo the Internet. I have learned there are some blogs (well, one in particular) that I just can't go to because it's not worth all the energy I use up being upset by the rot this person spews. Just not worth it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, by the way.
i don't get (or read) the angry all the time blogs either. a lot of the blogs I read (and the one I write) have occasional angry days, of course, but really... all the name calling and venom. ack. and I think you're well aware that we don't always agree on everything (like the definition of family, for instance) but that doesn't mean that we don't agree on a whole lot, and that we can't listen respectfully to each other, and enjoy each other's blogs.
ReplyDeleteso this laughter you're dealing? Sign me up.