None of us can speak to everyone’s motivations. Sometimes it’s obvious, but often there are assumptions. “You are this, so you think that,” or “You said this, so you must be (whatever).”  

Personally, I don’t care what people think of me or my motivations unless the criticism is justified. If it’s justified, I have to examine it.

I will say this, though.

If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve seen situation after situation where people act out of unhealed trauma and generational indoctrination. People are, to varying degrees, products of what awaited them when they were born into this harsh and crazy world. Witnessing all of that, you can get to a point where you don’t want to see anyone suffer, and you don’t hate anyone, but you continue to stand up for your beliefs.

It’s not because you are better than anyone. It’s because you wake up every morning wanting to be better. That’s what most of us strive for, to become a better person. Naturally, we want other humans to do better as well.

Shaming people, hurling insults, none of that helps or works. I’ve done both in the past, and, at one point, I unfriended so many people that I left myself in an echo chamber. The echo chamber doesn’t work either, but communicating respectfully just might. I know it isn’t possible to do that with everyone, but maybe we can start with the people who care.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro