Who are we all to be attacking one another? Why do we stoop so low as to kick each other while we are down? It’s actually a very simple answer that we chose not to think about; we are products of our own environments. We were raised from babies by our parents and/or loved ones to act a certain way. I mean, that’s why we all had our own cues for when we wanted something and our parents knew exactly what we needed. We picked up these traits from those around us.
We did the same exact thing when we all entered college. We saw our environment, and we adapted to it. We found out what all the “cool” people were doing, and we did what we had to do to fit into the crowd. Even if you don’t think you did this, I promise you that you most likely did and are just refusing to admit to it. We adapted to the “hook-up” culture after coming from the hand-holding in the hallways. That’s what our culture is now. It often feels like that is all anyone is looking for because that is what they are settling for due to the stereo-typical college environment. That doesn’t mean that we should just give up; good things happen to those who wait.
Now, I have a strong belief in karma, but we often forget about karma in the heat of the moment and let our mouths take control of the situation instead of waiting it out. Silence is always key. Do not play into people because they will continuously try to poke the bear to form some type of reaction. We are all young-adults. Go ahead, shake your head and say I’m crazy for thinking that, but it’s true. We all entered college thinking we suddenly grew from a teenager straight to an adult. No, not quite. Just because the state gives an age that they find appropriate to consider people an adult does not mean you are at a maturity level to be considered an actual adult. It is not a bad thing to be considered a young adult. All it means is you are still learning how to handle situations to be an adult. You will find yourself poking the bear at least once, that’s just part of the learning process. We are going to do immature things along the way, but we all learn from our mistakes. However, owning up to your mistakes is what’s going to set you apart from your peers. As soon as you take ownership of a situation and try to correct it, that is when you start becoming an adult. You need to handle the situation with respect for the other person while also explain your emotions through the whole problem that got you to where you are. Kindness is key.
Always keep these things in mind. Actions speak louder than words. We are all learning new lessons each day. To be completely honest, I didn’t learn any of this until this summer. The signs have always been there, but I’ve been one to ignore them and argue with people. I’m stubborn, a product of my environment. However, I’ve that is better to be the voice of reason rather than join in on the wrongful actions presented by people. It is just better to give a little empathy, and explain your side of things or how you view the situation, and then walk away. It gives you peace of mind knowing you did what you could to solve the situation, and then makes the person on the other side see that they also might have handled things in the wrong way.