There is a lot of talk
about eliminating the ‘isms.
This is 2014.
We shouldn’t tolerate
racism, ageism, sexism, etc.
Yes, I agree that we shouldn’t tolerate it
but ‘isms aren’t going away.
They might change.
If aliens attack, we might experience planetism.
But they won’t go away.
Because the ‘isms serve an emotional purpose.
They make us feel safe and in control.
In the past,
we used these ‘isms to band together
giving us a greater chance of surviving.
It helps us deal with
the random sh*t that happens.
These unexplainable acts frighten us.
If we blame them on a certain group,
we’re immediately calmer.
We’re in control.
We can do something about them
(exclude or eliminate this group).
We also enjoy being in elite groups,
belonging to clubs not everyone can join.
This is why self-published writers tell everyone
they’re self-published
even though readers don’t care about publishers.
They made what they felt to be
a superior choice
and now they’re informing the world.
Self-published writers then surround themselves
with people who agree with them,
who made the same choice.
Clearly, every other writer is wrong.
This gives them reassurance,
a nice feeling.
We ALL have ‘isms.
The first step to
managing or eliminating them
is to know what our own ‘isms are.