The Times They Are A
Changing
A cranky opinion for
CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY
More on Monday’s post
The following is the opinion of a
cranky old man with no credentials to have any opinion on the topic opined. Opposing opinions are welcome, but are
wrong. As always, no name calling, and
that means you, you big stupid head!
Monday I
re-ran a post from 2013. It was tongue
in cheek, making fun of “Profiling” and how we all do it from time to time. The intent was to demonstrate how profiling is
not necessarily wrong as it is usually based on experience or common sense, but
our gut feelings are also not always correct.
I.E.
When I board a train and there are
two seats available, one next to a teenager with a nose ring, and one next to
an older lady in a business suit, I will sit next to the lady.
Here is what
I find interesting:
In 2013, the
comments I received were predominantly along the lines of “This is so true, and funny” or “I
do the same, why not go with the odds”, or “Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts.” Most comments at
least recognized the attempt at humor.
Monday the
comments were more along the lines of, “You
can’t judge a book by its cover”, and “We
all do this sometimes and it is not right.” Some comments acknowledged the
existence of profiling and even admitted to doing it, but almost no one found
humor in the post or felt that profiling was in any way reasonable.
What
happened in four years that people went from seeing humor in a mostly
tongue-in-cheek post, to being a bit uptight and not wanting to give any credibility
at all to profiling people not just on race, but demeanor, dress and, body
language?
I think
perhaps the word “Profiling” has taken on a Political Correct nuance
that makes people less willing to accept it in any form.
That, or
maybe we have just lost our sense of humor.
It is sad if
society today is walking on egg shells.
The preceding was the opinion of a
cranky old man, and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.
I agree. I think "profiling" has taken on a politically correct nuance. I also think it depends on what part of the country you're from and if you're from a big city or a small town. Growing up we "sized people up." Ya' kinda' gave 'em the eyeball up n' down and you learned who was who in the neighborhood. It's like gang members who wear certain colors. You're not profiling them that's who they are and if you have a group of kids that are always up to no good and their cousin comes to visit and hangs out with them, well, lay down with dogs wake up with fleas. We'd size ya' up and assume you're up to no good. In my neck of the woods if it walked like a duck and quacked like a duck, it was a duck and we called them as we saw them otherwise your walks home could end very badly. I think it's common sense to size people up. And it is funny when you get it wrong.
ReplyDeletePlease do not profile us ducks!!
DeleteWith the levels of violence "out there' these days, it's no wonder unconscious profiling is happening and society is walking on eggshells. More so in cities I think, than in suburbia or small country towns.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say the same as River. People are more cautious now, in case they get beaten up. It's scary.
ReplyDeleteI tend to take people literally. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI think we are all just more aware of it today than we were four years ago,
ReplyDeleteIf it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day, Joe. ☺
See my comment to Valley Angel above!!
DeleteI think people are more sensitive about differences today, although tolerance seems to be on the decline these days. And as an illustrator I ALWAYS judge books by their covers.
ReplyDeleteSociety is walking on eggshells for sure, you called that one right, I don't think that we have lost our sense of humor per se, but with all the trouble that has come about since the election especially, everyone has gone into defense mode when replying to even our friends.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you have a different audience now!
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, anything that potentially touches on race can get dicey. Back when I used to blog about more substantive topics, I noticed I could hit almost any topic - sex, war, sacred cows - but anything that touched on race got people going.
Which is okay sometimes. Sometimes, that sort of reaction is fun.
But I agree that everybody needs to take a step back and laugh more.
We're wound too tight these days, and it's getting worse.
ReplyDeleteIt's good we're more sensitive. It's bad everyone has a diminished sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteThink the headlines today have made us more aware and sensitive. Sorry Joe, times are a changing.
ReplyDeleteNo need to be sorry for being sensitive, it just seems to me to be a shame for the world to be so sensitive that we need to walk on egg shells and filter every thought even legitimate ones.
DeleteMe, I'm still sitting next to the lady in a business suit and not the teen with a nose ring if I have a choice...hope she's nice.
Do you remember the old Dick Van Dyke show when he dreams that people become aliens and you could tell because they had no thumbs and no sense of humor? (or something like that) Well, I think there are tons of folks without thumbs walking around. I have to add this...I work in surgery. I see people naked. Let me tell you that there are many women (and men) who have piercings in places that don't show under a suit...just sayin..be careful where you sit.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's increased awareness.
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously beginning to doubt that anyone has a sense of humour anymore. People look at you with such a blank look on theirfaces when I trot out my brand of humour. Maybe I'm just not as funny as I think I am?
ReplyDeleteWe must base our judgments of people on past behavior, as we have nothing else to go on to tell us how they will behave in the future. The problem, of course, is when we see new people, do we judge them based on how others who look like them have behaved in our past, or do we give benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteThe sense of humor still exists, i still tell Cajun jokes. Cajuns laugh loudest at them, too.
I just wanted to leave a comment that was not word-for-word what I left back in 2013.
ReplyDeleteI guess I didn't read your blog in 2013 yet. But I, too, think that "profiling" has become a much more serious topic in the last few years.
ReplyDelete