I think, at different points in time, we should review the way we carry ourselves. Because more often than not, when we engage in judging everyone, everything, against our varying standards, we somehow overlook certain qualities and begin making unfair and harsh comments, which eventually very much undermining the very subject we judge.
I understand it's only human nature to make comparison, to rank, to weigh, and ultimately, to judge. Being blessed with two brains - the right and the left, the emotional and the rational - the left one will always process all data it receives and generate a list of comparison between a few subjects we encounter. So it's natural for us to say, this is a better option than that, he is more handsome than the other, she is prettier than the rest, and so on, and so forth.
But some people tend to overdo it. Perhaps due to inferiority complex, lack of confidence, the mentality of the grass is greener on the other side, or simply just pure admiration, some get overwhelmed by seemingly unreachable qualities others possess, that they begin to gauge everything else - meaning those who are not blessed with such qualities - according to how far they fall below the 'perfects'. While ranking people is something by nature, putting everyone else into how far they fall short of perfection is, by all means, an extremely unfair thing to do.
I am surprised, as much as I was baffled, at how much superficialism a friend of mine showed over our conversation. I make my point clear, that I have absolutely no conflict with this person and I'm, as I have always been, very comfortable with this person around. We often exchange remarks pertaining to different subjects, and those who joined in our conversations would unmistakably find out that both of us aren't that barbie-dolls-look-alike-and-think-alike-bimbos, despite the remarks we shot. Because we have substance to back us up, and the very fact that both of us usually have differing viewpoints, though mostly not opposing(thank god). So this person usually come off as a rational pal, with a left brain much developed to discern facts from exaggeration. This is one reason why I enjoy that person's company.
Yet, it has come to a point when the rosy picture begins to get tainted. I used to laugh it off when this friend of mine hail the 'perfects' as gods and goddesses, saying that it's exaggeration from obsession. But, as recent days testified, my friend seem to have intensified the admiration for this special elite group of people, up to the extent of worshipping them. Many a time I tried to question this friend's rational mind, for while I agree that the special group of elites are, well, special and elite, they are still mere humans like us, only blessed with something more. Is there a need to worship them as you would a God, an omnipotent, a supernatural?
You may think I'm exaggerating, but that's only because you haven't seen what I saw and most importantly, you are exercising your left brain. But not my friend of late. I was deeply alarmed when this friend passed an unjust and harsh comment on someone else, whom, while I agree with his lacking of skills, I find nothing so wrong about him other than the fact that he falls very far from the 'pros', as my friend put it.
Then I begin to understand. If the 'pros' are the benchmark you set to judge all others against, there's little wonder why the 'pros' are hailed as omnipotents. But get rational my friend, would you? Skills are not acquired overnight, and certainly they are not inborn. Maxsim played all his life, before he emerged a reknown pianist with his signature 'Flight of the Bumble Bee'. Therefore it is very unfair to any person to classify him as 'low standard', just because he is far from what the 'pros' can do. Have you thought, for a rough second, that the 'pros' went through the whole period of amateurism before they emerge professionals?
Furthermore, their having the best skills amoung people around you now, doesn't equate them with omnipotence, for there's always a mountain higher than the one you are standing on. They may be the best here, but they are certainly not the best yet. They know it, so why not you?
What shook me off my grounds was my friend's justification on her condemnation of the amateur, for 'spoiling her beautiful fantasy'.
"Because I have always been around the pros, I've fine-tuned my selectiveness. And I'm certainly not used to such amateurism."Given my usual character I should have rebutted with all the reasons in the world, but at that instance I was deeply awed and appalled, and all I could do was to stare wide-eyed with protest. I could not believe my ears.
I can't help but wonder, what do you see me as? An ugly duckling because I'm definitely far from the 'perfect princess'? Or another amateur you wouldn't bother listening to because I'm not up to and comparable with the 'pros'?
My friend, do not be offended if you ever read this. It is never about criticizing you, but rather a reminder, that maybe, sometimes, you have over-used your left brain. To the extent of being a little uncompromising and insensitive.
