The World: An Introverts View

Where has Respectability gone?

The first and foremost observation which pushes me over the edge more than any other is people, their perceived immunity and their inability to communicate respectfully online. The male sex often tend to communicate to women in a demeaning, sleazy and sexually driven manner. Random conversations open up with "hey babe", "how you doing beautiful", "rate my £(@&" and a whole feast of other common one liners. Where has respect gone? The women on the receiving end are people, they are not sexual objects and maybe just would like you to say something more than what almost every other bloke opens with.

Increasingly, interactions on social media is being hijacked by what some call trolls, I don't call them anything, they are emptiness. These people firstly think they know the answer to all problems, secondly their solution or opinion is the correct one and thirdly they abuse, bully and pontificate to anyone who shows them up for what they are. I have never met Facebook user X and come to think of it, they do not know who I am. Yet they broadcast to an open world their pompous opinion about me based on their own non evidential assumptions. Who are these people? Why do they feel the need to defame me because my name is unusual, or I "like" a LGBT support group, that I am a member of a humanist society, an open Atheist, because I "look like" a foreigner or that I shared an article that they do not agree with.

At this point I think you get the general idea where I am going and where I am bringing you or at least I hope so.

I generally like to be an observant rather than interact. I do not think that gives me an edge over anyone else but from my perspective, I know what I see. One of my favourite locations is at almost any old traditional bar in Ireland, located at the bar counter itself at an end, alone and with a really nice pint of lager or stout. From here I have a 180 degree view of the tiny world of the Irish Pub which is visited by just about all people of Irish Society. The Pub is my social network, its my Facebook and from here I can observe and view all the other social network users, the pompous troll, the disrespectful sex idolising women chasing male, the other introverts, the racist, the homophobe, the politically righteous and the self-aggrandising nobody.

As I sit here, 1 hour 10 minutes into my commute, i have just taken notice of the people around me, i wonder who they are? Is the guy with the oversized phone taking selfies sending them to his random "sexy babe" or is he just sending it to his partner with the simple respectful message of "I love you". The guy on the laptop, is he trolling on social media pontificating to people? or is he writing an article on why the LGBT community should be treated with equal respect as all society? I wonder.