Dealing With People

How are we supposed to get along with each other, really? This question is dealt with so often that it hardly seems to deserve to be asked. However, precisely because it is dealt with so often gives us good reason to inquire directly into the matter, seeking a philosophically sound and universal answer to a question that is addressed too individually, and answered too variously.

Encountering one another in our daily doings, we are hurled into the chaos of the moment, where anything can happen at any time, and thousands of variables must be considered, calculated and calibrated before anything can be done. Indeed, we are forced to deal with each other without the necessary tools or time to do so adequately. And so we make do, and somehow we get by.

But at the end of the day, after having to deal with each other without any kind of preparation or due thought, we may pause to consider whether we have acted justly, judiciously, or more often just jerkishly. Being constantly forced to accommodate each other on the spot, we should pause and take the time to step back from time and inquire into our personal affairs not only extemporaneously, but also extra-temporaneously.

One of the most common matters dealt with between people is the question of personal offense. It is commonly known that diversity breeds animosity. Of course, it is also well known that familiarity breeds contempt. Basically, we all hate each other. If you are different from me, I hate you for reminding me that mine is not the only way of life. If you are similar to me, I hate you for reminding me of my own inadequacies. Whatever the cause, we always find reason - and good reason! - to hate each other. What are we to do about it?

There are two common techniques. You can either (1) avoid the people you can't stand, or (2) avoid talking about why you can't stand them. But frankly, both of these options are untenable. What kind of world are we living in where we can't voice our contempt for each other openly? I thought we were supposed to be living in a free society.

I offer a third alternative. Rather than working toward a more "sensitive" and "diplomatic" society, let's quit fucking around and just be ourselves. After all, this is America! If we can't openly express our contempt for each other, what else is left to bring us together? We must stand together, united in our common contempt! Only then may we truly call ourselves Americans.