Stuck In A Group Mind Or Blessed With A God Mind?

A man was walking down the street scrolling through his newsfeed. When he tripped, he lost his balance and fell into a freshly painted picket fence. Because the man was extra large, the picket fence was pushed to the ground, and the new paint job was wrecked.

The owner of the house burst from the front door, fists clenched, outraged at the damage. "I just painted this," he bellowed. "Now look at the mess you made. You owe me!"

The man who fell into the fence was taken aback since his designer shoes, jeans, and hoodie were now covered in green paint. "What the...you have some nerve! I just fell and injured myself, and your f-ing wet paint destroyed my clothes! You owe ME!”

The homeowner shot back. “You weren't even looking where you were going, you idiot! I saw you. Your nose was buried in your phone. How stupid was that, and now you blame me for your screwup?"

The man covered in paint scoffed. "Oh, that's rich.  So you’re the victim here? You're the one who screwed up. You failed to put up a “wet paint" sign, and now look at it. I'm suing you!!”

The foregoing incident reminded me of the thoughtless, combative way people deal with each other every day. No one takes a breath. No one cares to put themselves in the other guy’s shoes or see the other’s point of view. Instead, the pot boils over and spills into hate-filled insanity. 

Respect for composure and dignity is long gone. In its place is the freedom to hate, spew, rant, and post nonsense all day long. The world is everyone’s oyster now, and contrary to what one may think, it doesn’t contribute to the greater good. Instead, we’re making each other volatile and sick. 

Spending one day stewing and anguishing in hate, be it toward neighbors, those at the office, or those holding office, is a very unhealthy thing to do. Blasting such negativity repeatedly to one’s peeps via social platforms day after day creates chaos in the body, even if it feels like letting off steam. 

According to Dr. Mario F. Mendez, director of the Behavioral Neurology Program at UCLA and VAGLA Medical Center, “Hate results in PTSD and a prolonged stress response with elevated cortisol and adrenaline, and a weakened immune system. The consequences are high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive issues, and greater susceptibility to illnesses." 

So why do people do it? 

Venting feels satisfying in the moment—like cooling off with an ice cream sundae. And if one lives in la-la land, they may even convince themselves they’re serving a greater good. But no one fixes anything by preaching to their choir. You might as well stick pins in a doll.

There’s a saner way to restore one’s equipoise, mental clarity, and health, despite our world being filled with idiocy, malevolence, and deep sorrows for this nation’s radical leap into perpetual darkness. Take a daily breather here on Youtropolis, and consider the practice suggested in the following biblical passage from Philippians 4:8. 

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”