Sensitivity. Today, I’m going to talk about only one of the many aspects of it, specifically sensitivity in relationships/social interactions. What is being sensitive? Well, it can mean several things. It can mean a high awareness of feelings, reactions, etc.. or it can mean being easily offended/irritated. I think that being sensitive is a good thing, but not when you’re overly sensitive, like when you don’t take accountability and get upset at something as small as… spilling a drink? Being sensitive means you have the ability to feel and see things deeply, which is something a lot of people lack. In reality, everything.. and I mean absolutely everything is deep when you really think about it. In social settings, I notice that people have a tendency to ignore their sensitive friends. What do I mean by this? Well, let’s say that someone says a joke the recipient doesn’t like. When you have good morals and understanding of these people, you automatically stop when they tell you to, right? But, no, apparently that’s extremely difficult for some. I’m talking from personal experience now; I've been called overly sensitive for not being okay with a joke that I’m.. not in touch with my culture? Or calling me a different nationality just because I didn’t know something? I will admit, at the time, I was very sensitive. However, in this situation? Definitely not. That was very valid, and I think continuing with jokes involving race, culture, gender, etc should not be "fine" or "not that deep". It is that deep. I might be biased and not realising it, so please tell me if you think that’s okay. I may still be sensitive. Now, let me talk about something else that’s interconnected with sensitivity. "Ragebait". I have to admit, I exhaled immediately when I read that word. Ragebait. Oh, ragebait… what a funny-and-totally-not-damaging-thing-to-society. Okay, what exactly is ragebait? It’s the same as trolling, just a new name for it. It’s in the word; rage-bait. Basically just saying things that would get people mad. Ragebait, or trolling, used to be harmless. It was completely fine before people started taking it way too far. People used to troll by saying that pineapple belongs on pizza. Now? Now they do it by being racist, ableist, etc. "Ragebait" is now a term used to excuse and justify this behaviour. As if it changes how much harm it causes. No, it’s not okay to insult someone's looks just because it’s "funny" to you. (P.S. This was just an example) Especially towards people you don’t even know. I get it, there’s a certain thrill to it, but when you’re outright just manipulating people by trying to make it seem normal? It’s actually working, and it raises a concern. Will the generations after us, or even the current one, become more and more desensitised because of this? I know that’s not the only factor, but it still plays a huge role in it. We’re already seeing a huge decrease in empathy, compassion and understanding these days. I can see a huge contrast between the earlier years and years now. I also feel like this happens as humanity progresses. I mean, look at the nineteenth century. People were *extremely* sensitive to certain, even unnecessary things. I’m not, like, siding with them, since a big chunk of things that happened back then were horrible and unjustifiable *because* of this sensitivity, but you can see my point. I’m not sure why, really. However, we’re in the present times now, and I’m not going to get into history. All I’m saying is… I’ve seen a lot of horrible behaviour being justified because it’s "ragebait", people calling others "sensitive" because of things that are genuinely disgusting, etc.. and I think we should be kinder to our sensitive friends. Why? Because they’re the ones with the most emotional awareness, and feel more deeply than others could possibly imagine. Also, I’d like to note that just because you don’t know someone, or because they’re a celebrity, or they’ve done something wrong, doesn’t give you the right to shame them for their looks. The defence is always "they don’t even know you!!". Does that matter? You’re trying to justify and normalise these twisted actions. Hold people accountable for their actions, not go straight to their looks.. because you’re just as bad as them if you insult them for that. I, and a lot of other people, aren’t sensitive for saying that. It’s such a shame some people resort to insults instead of objective facts. Sincerely, rae.
