Mean Is Mean

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I'm not trying to be mean, here. I'm not. But I do want to talk about something that's been on my mind.

For the purposes of our discussion, I'm going to define the word "mean" as "something that would probably hurt someone's feelings if you said it in front of them."

And I also want to say, before I get started, that I am mean sometimes, too. We all are.

Sooo...with all of that said, here's the thing. Lately I've heard a lot of mean things said about groups of people--stereotyping, in other words. I don't know if it's really happening more often, or if I'm just more sensitive to it lately for some reason.

Like, "Oh my heck. [Group of people] are so [negative quality]." Or, "[Group of people] are always [doing whatever annoys this person]."

I get it. I do it, too. But, people? It's not nice. It's mean. Even if it's true, even if it's funny. Even if saying it makes you feel better for a moment. Even if they never know that you said it--because somewhere, deep inside, it's hurting you. It is not making you a better person.

So think about how often you say something like that. Who do you complain about? Canadians? Gay people? Mormons? Democrats? Your in-laws? Twilight fans?

Odds are, not all of the people in that group do the thing that you're complaining about. And even if they do, it's not your job to point it out. It's your job to forgive them and move on.

So let's try a little harder to keep our mouths shut more often. I'm going to try. Are you?