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March 30, 2021 Bad Memes March 1, 2021 Hard Lessons February 26, 2021 Random Thoughts IV January 17, 2021 Bad Idioms January 14, 2021 Gone for a month December 19, 2020 Mystery Blog December 13, 2020 Random Thoughts III December 10, 2020 100 Things Revisited |
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March 30, 2021
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Memes have become the standard of social media. Today, you can expect a bunch of people you're friends with to post a meme that's answered by a number of memes. Or GIFs, which is what I tend to do if I find the words less than desirable. Here are some memes, and why they don't work. Apologies for the language in the first one. 
The sentiment of this meme is true. The concept of gaslighting is what the meme addresses. This is when someone knows they're doing something wrong, does it anyway, and shifts the blame to someone else. But while the first sentence directly addresses the problem, the second sentence is doomed to backfire. "God forbid" and that word I warned you about above can actually keep the point from getting through to those who need to stop. This sentence can only be taken as aggression, and when someone is confronted aggressively, there's a tendency for that person to become more dedicated to what they're saying. In fact, it frequently turns into an argument that the person confronting the gaslighter has already lost. Many simply leave it at the first sentence, which doesn't address the fact that something needs to be done about it. (Some of you may recognize this from my "Bed Dad" blogs.) 
This one made me bang my head on my desk. It's what I call a "me meme", one that basically says to be selfish and think more about yourself instead of how you affect others. These people can be the epitome of the 3 Negative A's (anal, aggressive, agitating) because they don't care what you think of them. Someone who "sticks by your side" for terrible decisions will help keep you from repeating them, not help you not feel bad about doing the wrong thing, which is what this meme implies. 
This is intended to emphasize the variety in human skin color and say, "We're all human." This, however, is a case of a bad example. Think about it from a scientific viewpoint: There's blue, orange, yellow, brown, rainbow . . . and they're all the same? This isn't saying we're all the same because it's focusing on the shades that change the color instead of the light on the inside, which is the same. Plus, the different color lights affect their surroundings differently; for example, a blue sheet of paper on a white table will be harder to find in a blue light because it will completely blend in, while it will stand out in a red or green light. 
This meme says, essentially, that it's okay to wait because you don't feel like doing it right then. It emphasizes not leaving a bad situation. It's a terrible situation they need to get out of right then, but they're "not ready" so it's okay to stay. The truth is, if the situation's that bad, it's not a matter of whether you want to get out of the situation, or if you're ready or not; you need to go right then, whatever the cost. Staying only serves to empower anyone creating the situation. In some cases, it may endanger peoples' lives. 
This is one meme that fails to explain to those who are guilty of this same thing. A third is more than a quarter, but people thought the quarter pound was bigger because 4 is greater than 3. But it's not true because in the denominator (bottom number of a fraction), the smaller number has the greater value. Think of how much is in 1/2 compared to 1/4 and you'll see what I mean. Anyone can understand that, even if someone does happen to be weaker at mathematics. So, basically, all this meme does is call people stupid and tell others not to look for a solution--which is the responsibility of the people who understand the math. 
Another meme that can be taken for the sentiment, but it has the problem of taking something non-physical and making it a physical issue. This is a huge problem today--people look at the physical aspects of everything, but not everything is physical. Anyone with any level of literalism can easily be misled about what love is, leading to marriages based on something other than love. 
There's a word everybody should be familiar with: analogy. In logic, it's a technique used for refutation, not proof. This meme attempts to use it as proof. The comparison with philosophy is fair (I consider it "the art of finding the right questions"). The questions are obvious. Where could the cat be? Will I find it if I move my arms this way? Will I find it by stepping on it? But the other three are no good. Metaphysics relies on evidence that something is there, not belief, and the first step is to determine if what was detected is what we thought was detected. With a being like, say, The Lord God Almighty, this is far easier said than done because His nature could be something we can't detect. The theology comparison relies strictly on the "invisible man argument", which is nothing more than an oversimplified literal interpretation of God. Which, in turn, fails miserably. And science isn't searching and finding; it's getting an idea about something, testing it, and utilizing the conclusions, not looking around at a whole bunch of stuff that doesn't apply to what you're trying to discover. Of course, the best example of why those three don't work is to find a wall, be still and quiet for a few seconds, grip both hands together, slam them to the wall as hard as possible, and go to whereever the other sound comes from. 
This one looks good. This one looks real good. In fact, I could do an entire series of blogs on just this one meme, line by line. However, the line, "Live in the present" has no place in human vocabulary. This, basically, says to ignore 99.99% of who we are and will be. The past is who we are. It's what shaped us, and what guides us. The future is the unknown quantity, which can be as benevolent as a hamster or as hazardous and surprising as an anaconda. We have to be thinking about what may happen at all times. People who "live in the present" never seem to be prepared, and those I've known have never been able to handle it when the unexpected happens. And the phrase, "That's in the past" is a hallmark of theirs, even if that past has become important. "I don't know why I have to talk about my past" is one I've heard several times, once in response to a policeman. Those are the ones that I have a problem with, and are why most memes should be forgotten. They've become more of a problem than most people realize. Some memes, such as a recent one of Bernie Sanders laughing with the word "Ha" all over the picture, are unclear and can be taken in several different ways. That's why I left this one for last: 
This meme separates those who understand silence from those who don't. We are silent when we have said everything that needs to be said. Those who don't understand silence stretch for anything to talk about, and if that means spilling someone else's secrets, they're fine with is as long as the talking's going on. Someone with bad intentions can hear where we are, where we're going, and what we're planning? Fine, because we're talking. Don't want a spoiler for the movie, TV show, or book? Don't talk with any of those people. I've heard people spill company information, where their young child was going to be and when, and even other peoples' passwords because they look for anything to talk about. And they won't understand your words because you won't get to finish, and if you do, it will be broken up into pieces that they'll take separately. Finally, the use of Baby Groot drives home how words are understood by those who actually listen, not just hear the words and jump in with words of their own. Whew! I usually don't announce what I'm doing in my next blog, but there's something that's been bothering me for a long time that I've known I need to cover, and that's why I am now a Christian without a Church. And, no, just because I don't have a Church doesn't mean I'm not a Christian; I'll be explaining that, too. Until next time . . . |
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