An Important Thing Learned from Facebook

It is clear that I have lived most of my life with an optimistic outlook, in at least one sense.  I always believed, without really trying, that people were basically good, and that they mostly agreed on the value of values, even if they were lacking.  I also believed that people mostly preferred to self monitor--respond to their own conscience rather than be told what to feel and think.

I thought people in this country automatically rejected the idea of over bearing authority, and that they were usually honest and trustworthy because that is just what you do.  I thought most people relished the idea of you being able to live as you choose, provided you don't harm others.

Facebook helped set me straight.  I learned that multitudes of people are greedy, dishonest, dimwitted, and tend to feel self righteous based on things they don't even understand.  It is the thrill of power, attention, and maybe a chance for some free stuff.

A shocking percentage of people are truly dimwitted, base, greedy and basically dishonest.  And they get out of it with phrases like "my truth" or "what is true for me".

People will jump on almost any band wagon cause or destructive mob action, presented with little to no real information.

On the other hand, a lot of people are nice as can be.  But they'll still feel justified in telling others how to live, what to pay, etc.  Just cannot keep from stepping on the rights of others.

The old tv cowboy lynch mob rednecks have nothing on the modern day mob protester.  Pride in ignorance is the name of the game.

Tyranny of the majority is a concept they just don't get.  And the people who make it their business to live like royalty on our money, with our blessing, count on that.  They count on people being so weak that they thrive by being part of the mob, in the majority.  Soldarity is the hollow cry of the cowardly bully in many cases.

The majority of people probably aren't basically good, or not so good if there is something free in it for themselves, or if peer pressure is pushing for some uncalled for screwing with the minding his own business individual.