Why Are You So Rude? by Michelle

Why Are You So Rude? by Michelle - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

In today’s fast paced society, it seems as though less and less people are worried about how they treat others. The vast majority of society seems to not be concerned with anyone else, but themselves. I, personally, have heard the popular tip which says, “If you’re ever in trouble on the street do not yell help, instead yell fire, so more people will actually take notice of the situation.” How depressing that in order to get help one must lie. Many people blame this rise in hatred and indifference on Brexit and the 2016 presidential election, but rudeness and harshness has always existed in humanity. The first documented war happened in 2700 BCE and there were probably many wars before then, but humans first discovered how to fight and be rude and then how to write. After all, what is rudeness if not an early indication of imminent violence? My experiences everyday on the crowded streets of Los Angeles and my experiences online would make me teach a class of human behavior with an emphasis on rudeness.
Around the corner of my apartment there is a grocery store that I frequent and most of the times I’m in the store there is usually a fight going on right outside. Sometimes the conflict is in between the homeless or between shoppers, but there is usually always a conflict. Every time I drive around this city I witness some form of road rage that involves hand signs and muffled shouting behind closed windows and I can’t help but wonder what would happen if everyone was just a little bit kinder. Would there be less accidents on the roads? Probably, because instead of focusing on insulting and degrading the person that doesn’t know how to use a blinker we would focus on the pedestrian crossing the road. Why are we so prone to become violent? Violence in human behavior has always existed as I said before, but in this advanced age even with abundant awareness of the consequences of bullying and hate, this type of behavior is more prevalent than ever especially due to the anonymity of the internet.
Anytime there exists a polarizing political discord the amount of hateful comments in the internet’s biggest opinion platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, skyrockets. However, even in times of somewhat peace people bully others through anonymous online usernames. It’s as if the slightest difference in opinion, race, sexuality, or religion sets of a blitz attack of vulgar names and degrading words. The lack of consequences due to anonymity increases the boldness of the so-called ‘trolls’ even more which causes a never-ending cycle of rudeness to be constantly circulating the internet. I have witnessed this kind of harshness in a Facebook group that is supposed to be for scholars and high-achieving students that have faced hard economic circumstances in their life. Students attending the top liberal arts colleges in the nation don’t hesitate to swiftly make others feel belittled and ignorant with a few keystrokes and this shocks me.
My class would focus on the why of this constant pattern of human behavior. There would be an anatomical, psychological, sociological, and biological analysis of rudeness and I would also teach the ripple effect that both rudeness and kindness towards others has on a society with a hope that maybe, just maybe, the future generation has not only a more advanced perspective on everyday rudeness, but perhaps is also able to develop an effective technique to control the disturbing instinct of violence.