It’s interesting how one person’s comment or action can trigger the attack of what I call “human piranhas.” Social media has opened the lines of communication. Unfortunately, instead of spewing out positivity and love, this platform has opened the geyser for negativity as well. It’s unclear as to why there is such a tendency to load and fire negativity. The world really would be a much better place if we all let love and kindness rule.
When we turn on the TV or some other platform of news media, we find people commenting on what other people have said or done, be that the President or a Hollywood celebrity. Just a single misunderstanding could trigger the onslaught of human piranhas. They viciously spew out venomous words toward the accused. People are people, we all have our flaws, and we all make mistakes in life. No one is perfect, no matter how much we may think or wish we were. Everyone has said something that they’ve later regretted saying. Everyone has done something that they’ve later come to regret doing. As such, we all have suffered the consequences of our words and actions. Positivity begets positivity, and negativity begets negativity. It goes back to the law of attraction.
The point here is that sometimes the consequences of poorly chosen words or actions may be overblown. There have been instances where a minor crime has received a major verdict. No one wants to be the accused. It’s a very humbling role to play. Everyone feels much more comfortable playing the role of the accuser because it has a much more powerful essence to it. Feeling powerful and in control over being vulnerable and humbled.
We see much of this dynamic at play in the current world, especially on social platforms. When will we choose not to be a human piranha and attack those that we perceive to be faulty in their thinking or behaviors? What gives us the right to attack anyone based on our own perceptions? Are we so desperate in our need for attention and to be “right”? Is there another more mature, intelligent, and appropriate means than by being verbally combative and competitive?
Don’t misunderstand this, there is a difference between an attack and justice. When a person commits a serious crime, such as murder, then there are dire consequences to such behavior as there should be. This is what most would consider justice to be. However, there are instances where a person did not commit a heinous crime, and still suffers the attack of many. An example that comes to mind is the octomom. She had 14 children to support after her IVF procedure miraculously produced 8 viable newborns. This woman was judged, ridiculed, and attacked for so many reasons. The fact remains that she did not commit a horrible crime that justifies the human piranha attacks that she endured. Yes, she gave birth to lots of babies, and yes, she was responsible for successfully raising each of those babies. There really was no nightmarish crime committed, yet she was attacked by human piranhas for quite some time. After her story became passé the human piranhas moved on to other “weaklings.”
We see human piranha attacks on Hollywood stars all the time. When Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed during the Super Bowl. Did anyone die because her breast was exposed? No. But boy did she get the verbal blows for that occurrence. This is not justifying having 14 babies or exposing private parts on broadcast television. The point is that human piranhas attacked these people. When someone is down and out, that’s when human piranhas attack.
Sometimes human piranha attacks are masked as humor. We see these attacks in humorous skits on Saturday Night Live and the Late-Night shows. They take a situation and nip at it in a passive aggressive way by joking about it. This is a more subtle way to attack, but it’s an attack regardless.
An alternative to human piranha attacks, would be to practice the age old saying “if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all” or “if you cannot be positive, then at least be quiet.” This practice avoids the negative energies from not only being planted, but also from growing. It essentially prevents the verbal attack altogether. It is also important to remember that we can agree to disagree with others. There is no rule in life that states that every human being must think and act alike. Others can have differing opinions, tastes, beliefs, etc. The diversity is what makes people interesting. A world of identical clones is not the goal. So, the next time we find ourselves disagreeing with someone else, instead of turning into a human piranha and attacking them, we could respect them enough to allow them to be authentically themselves. This requires us to remain in control of our own tendencies of judgement and criticism.
When will we as a collective decide not to be human piranhas, and instead approach situations from a place of love and patience? When a child misbehaves or says something inappropriate, the parent will guide them to learn the proper behavior or words to use. The parents normally do not condemn their child for the occurrence. If the action was severe enough, as in the case of bullying, then the parent implements a more severe consequence for the misbehavior. This is still done from a foundation of love and concern. The parent is guiding the child to behave or speak in more appropriate ways, while at the same time not casting shame, blame, and guilt on them. Shame, blame, and guilt are never beneficial emotions. Disagreements and arguments also do not radiate positivity. When someone has lost their proper course, gently help guide them back. Whenever we approach things from a more loving, respectful, and understanding place, then the outcomes tend to be more positive. This is especially true in the long-term.