Fuss pots ! : I know a few

       As always with these statements, whether for my blogs or for any other reason, as soon as I make the statement, I question it. Perhaps, it's actually me who is the fuss pot. Just for judging someone else a fuss pot, now isn't that a hoot. Or, at the least, I am as guiltly, as they, aren't I? Ahh, the curse of being able to see both sides of an argument. It really does me no good at all. Why can't I just be bloody minded, and forget about looking further into it.

        I read somewhere once, that one is likely to be judged on the basis of what the person doing the judging would do, or why. In other words, they think they know exactly where you are coming from, because it's how they would react, or why they would be doing that. I must say, I think that in many instances, that is very much what happens. Not always though, certainly not a 100% of the time. Of course, as I said yesterday, there are always exceptions to the rule. So, perhaps in general, it's how it happens, but no rule is inflexible. Rules, are only rules, until they get broken. That's my 'rule' anyhow.....I know, I know, it's the way it is in my head.

         Of course, I did a little philosophy, as part of my three year teaching qualifications at the University of London . It began with the old argument, 'what is freedom? ' as one persons freedom, is another's restrictions, or lack of freedom, if that's the correct way to put it. You know how it works, someone may want the freedom to play their music loudly all night. Which, means someone else, who wants the freedom to sleep in peace and quiet, cannot do so. Who's freedom is more important, how do you negotiate. I'm not sure I have ever got beyond that first argument. Or, perhaps I was there, to begin with. It might just be my natural character. 

          I do recall, the whole freedom philosophy, was pretty mind blowing to me at the time. I felt I had been offered a whole new insight into how relationships, and  greater society, operated. In fact, how difficult it is for us all to live together with any real freedoms. There is no such thing is there. I suppose big ideas, make big impressions, as it did with me. I had certainly given no conscious thought to it before.

            We all learn to give and take as part of living together in social groupings. Even something as simple as bullying, begins with children, physically, or verbally objecting to another child being different from the norm. Acting differently, by their behaviour, or looking different somehow, their appearance. Censure can be harsh, even at that young age. It's, attacking the different, the weaker, the one considered not like them. A behaviour, even simple chickens do, so ingrained is it as a social behaviour? They will constantly peck at one of their group, how they choose the unfortunate one, I do not know.  I have seen them attack 'en masse', and kill the rejected one, considered too different. Perhaps that's why, everyone feels they must knock bullying on the head. Because allowing that behaviour, or attitude is bound to lead to much worse. As a society, we should be nurturing, and protecting, not attacking, and isolating. We must, learn how to live together, or society becomes completely unworkable. Whether that be as a family, a neighbourhood, or the larger world. The bigger the area involved, the more diverse the people, the larger any problems involved becomes. Purely because, there are so many cultural differences involved. 

             Not least of which is religion. We all know how many wars wars are fought over the question of religious freedoms. Tied up with those religions, are the cultural, sociological aspects of those groups. So many elements of how other people choose to live, for anyone to disagree with. Or, perhaps people think that these beliefs of others, May, or are, infringing on their own rights. That's living in fear of losing your own freedoms. How many times do we see these things blow up, from objections to clothes, or social practices, in the newspapers. Right up to fundamentalists deciding to destroy those people in the world, who insist of doing things differently to how they believe it should be done. We all realise, we are all in the middle of that, the terrorists, those who kill with impunity. Politicians address them they say, but do they? We see these problems still ongoing today,  I say begin at ground level. Each one of us helping others,especially the different, where we can.

             Isn't it what dictators are all about? They say, this isnt the way things will be done in this country. To that end, gathering followers, and funds until eventually they are able to rule the place in their way, ignoring or worse, the rest. They want to have all of their own personal freedoms, they don't want any give, and take. Their aim is to make the rules for everyone, to give themselves a society exactly as they want. A selfish aim, that inevitably leads to imprisonment, torture, or murder. Or, in the past, to mass, world wide, genocide. We all still remember that one. Its still reverberating in the world today. 

            Back to the begiinning then, to the fuss pot who annoyed me today. I'm sure we all have one, or more than one. Because despite our best intentions, we all have likes, and dislikes. We all have freedoms we don't want others infringing, or at least, not all the time. Things that annoy us because we would not do the same, although the fuss pot may consider, quite wrongly, they know the reason for our reaction. We must not be too quick to judge others must we. 

            So slow down out there, be considerate, be adaptable. Have a bit of flexibility. To do something in a different way, won't kill you. Whereas, to insist on your own way every time, will eventually cause big problems....potentially bigger than you want.

             Freedom for all I say. Or at least as many as are possible, for all of us. Live, and let live.

             Consideration for others? Give and take?

             Adaptability? Flexibility? Compromise?

             What do you think?