• Mood: amused
• Music: Nelly Furtado - ...On the Radio (Remember the Days) | Powered by Last.fm

like that's what you'd expect from me, like that's what i'm about

If I made New Year's resolutions (which I don't, for various reasons I've elaborated upon in the past), one of them would doubtless read "be a little nicer to people".

...I would -- also doubtless -- break said resolution at approximately 00:33 on January 1st. :D

I don't like most humans, and my scorn extends to myself just as much as it does to, e.g. the wilfully ignorant and the passive-aggressive. The biggest irony of my perspective has always been that I love humanity, our incredible potential, and what we're capable of when the mainsail is torn and all the lifeboats have splintered. Most of us fail to live up to that potential, often fail to even strive for something greater -- or worse, we strive for things that oppress or belittle those who aren't like us.

I think it's okay to be proud of who you are and what you do, but I have found (through both personal experience and observation of others) that telling everyone how great you are rarely actually means you're proud of yourself. If you need validation, you ain't proud. I believe the weightiest praise comes from people who don't love you, and I think self-praise is embarrassing to witness, particularly the sort that pretends to self-deprecate.

I have attempted various ways of destroying myself over the years, and I am here to report to you that self-deception is the best one of those ways. I think kindness stemming from a sense of duty is worth nothing. I don't believe in treating others the way I want to be treated because I don't know what other people want unless they tell me; my wishes are not a benchmark for the rest of the world. I believe treating others the way I want to be treated is akin to giving gifts I like rather than trying to think about what the other person would like.

I have nothing but suspicion and ill will towards people who exhort others to "be nice". Your "be nice" is "be like me" disguised beneath a thin veneer of fake social grace, and I see right through you. If you think it's so important, be nice. But other people's lives and choices are none of your business. I think the kindest thing a person can do for others is to respect their right to make their own choices.

So this year, too, if you have nothing nice to say, come and sit by me. *pats comfy sofa*