We're all human, and as humans, we've all made mistakes. Given that, it's not so much about the mistakes we make; it's about learning from said mistakes and improving as individuals due to them. So why does it seem many spend more time judging others based upon their past mistakes than seeing the evolution which they've undertaken?
I'm a firm believer that change is possible. Alcoholics and drug abusers have gone sober. Racists have seen the light and gone on to become spokespeople for organizations fighting against racial discrimination. There have even been times when once violent individuals got to the root of their anger with a counselor, underwent a lifestyle change, and became loving, peaceful people. Change can happen, especially if you believe it.
Like with everything else, social media has its pros and cons. One con is the almost mafia-like mentality some in social media have when a story breaks about a celebrity. A recent example revolves around stand-up comedian Kevin Hart, who had been offered the gig as Oscars host, but following the backlash on Twitter with regard to politically-incorrect LGBT tweets he posted years ago, he wound up declining said job offer. Since the story broke, he's consistently owned up to his mistakes, claimed he's evolved on the issue, and his tweets since that time have showcased he's likely telling the truth. So why do so many focus in on the mistakes he learned from, making it appear as though they're representative of who he is today, rather than seeing and appreciating his personal evolution?
If each and every one of us does some serious self-reflection, I have a good feeling there's at least one point in our lives where we think, "Wow, I did not like myself then. I was such a (fill-in-the-blank with a negatively-connotated noun)." Do we want others to view us as that same individual? Would we think that'd be at all fair? No, of course not, so we do we often impose that mentality on others? It's high past time we stopped focusing most of our attention on a person's past mistake(s) and instead look at and appreciate him/her for the person they've become. I'm sure we'd like others to view us in the same manner.
I'm a firm believer that change is possible. Alcoholics and drug abusers have gone sober. Racists have seen the light and gone on to become spokespeople for organizations fighting against racial discrimination. There have even been times when once violent individuals got to the root of their anger with a counselor, underwent a lifestyle change, and became loving, peaceful people. Change can happen, especially if you believe it.
Like with everything else, social media has its pros and cons. One con is the almost mafia-like mentality some in social media have when a story breaks about a celebrity. A recent example revolves around stand-up comedian Kevin Hart, who had been offered the gig as Oscars host, but following the backlash on Twitter with regard to politically-incorrect LGBT tweets he posted years ago, he wound up declining said job offer. Since the story broke, he's consistently owned up to his mistakes, claimed he's evolved on the issue, and his tweets since that time have showcased he's likely telling the truth. So why do so many focus in on the mistakes he learned from, making it appear as though they're representative of who he is today, rather than seeing and appreciating his personal evolution?
If each and every one of us does some serious self-reflection, I have a good feeling there's at least one point in our lives where we think, "Wow, I did not like myself then. I was such a (fill-in-the-blank with a negatively-connotated noun)." Do we want others to view us as that same individual? Would we think that'd be at all fair? No, of course not, so we do we often impose that mentality on others? It's high past time we stopped focusing most of our attention on a person's past mistake(s) and instead look at and appreciate him/her for the person they've become. I'm sure we'd like others to view us in the same manner.
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