Rude = Self-Centered
I recently read The Ten Commandments of Cell Phone Etiquette (InfoWorld). Gosh, this is a perfect description of Self-Centered people. At first glance, they simply appear to be rude people. I think the cause of all rudeness is self-centeredness. Rudeness is simply the outward display.
My mantra for the past week or so (I try not to have the same mantra for more than a week) has been “What will our great world (or country or state or city) be like when all the self-centered people that gravitate toward me at every opportunity take it over?”
Why do so many people think they are better than I am? That they deserve to get to the stop light three seconds ahead of me; therefore, it is fine for them to blast by me on the right. That they deserve to talk as loudly as they want in the movie theater; afterall, they paid to be there. That they have every right to demand that their child have a certain teacher; disregarding that the school could never handle it if every parent acted the way that they do.
A long time ago, I read a definition of Freedom that I have always felt worked. It said that “My freedom extends as far it can go until it takes away someone else’s freedom. And there it stops.” I like that.
I have the right to speed, as long as it doesn’t take away someone else’s right to go slower. I have the right to be noisy, as long as there is no one wishing I would be quiet. I have the freedom to do whatever I want, as long as I don’t take away anyone else’s freedom by doing it.
How can we bring these self-centered people to care that they are taking away our freedom? The comment booth is now open.
Filed under: Freedom, Self-Centered on July 23rd, 2007
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