Words

One of the best things about being a human today is having this immense, yet equally as formidable, power to use words. We use words to convey ideas, thoughts, opinions, and basically let others know what we're thinking. However this great power we obtain comes with a great responsibility as to not let our words bear an incorrect significance. From a young age, we are given the tools to forge a powerful vocabulary. As we grow, we collect new words that are added to that vocabulary, and by the time you have reached your teenage years, you have quite a colorful language. When you're happy, you shout and cheer and exclaim. When you're uncomfortable or angry, you complain and whine and cry. Those distinct phrases you use express what you're feeling. The tone you use when speaking to someone can easily depict what mood you're in as well, and can help the other person understand what you are feeling. Yet in spite of the admirable amount of face-to-face contact our nation is displaying, we are still becoming a technological age, and most of our conversations occur over social medias or text messaging. The concept of "body language" is now removed from the picture. The things you write or type are not as easily deciphered by your recipient. It doesn't matter if you meant something as a joke because the person that read it isn't thinking of how you said it, but what you wrote. It is now that we encounter a new problem. In current days, words like "cyberbulling" and "online harrassment" are being used more than ever. This of course is due to the fact that computers weren't as common 50 years ago, but also that funny comments and sarcastic humor is being taken more literally now. The unsettling truth is that people find a satisfying comfort of hiding behind a profile making rude comments rather than expressing their opinions in a socially-acceptable way. You can say whatever you feel, in a positive way. There is always a chance to enforce constructive criticism. I've noticed that many communal platforms have turned very negative, and are being flooded with unnecessary hate. I am a strong enthusiast for sticking up for what I believe in and "getting my point across", but at the same time it takes a level of maturity to understand an argument and think of any possible outcome your words might have. As a professional in whatever you do, there is no "She started it." or "It wasn't my fault." You have to recognize the battle you enter before you submit a comment, or post a status update. Belittling someone for something they did wrong doesn't make you seem any better, it only makes you appear like you've sunk to their level. The strongest way to improve a situation is to talk to that person and express you're discontent with their actions. I'm not saying that murderers are great people and you just don't know them fully, I'm saying that before you "seek revenge" on someone by posting something about them, understand that it can be misinterpreted and you could be the person in the end looking like a jerk.