This weeks show topic is a particularly difficult one. I spent many hours laboring over the title, and how to present the material in an "non-offensive" manner. Not wanting to "isolate" anyone is a tough thing to do when you are doing your very best to get a message out that you deem to be positive for the whole of society. A judgement call?
Anyway, I am going to do my best to present the material today with the utmost respect to those it may offend.
"What's wrong with this picture" title is in response to an epiphany I had this past week. I was trying to understand what the possible reasons we go into an auto-single out mode in our society. While I was contemplating this idea I heard a jingle I had not heard since I was a little girl. It goes something like this,"Which one of these things isn't like the other..." I realized immediately that I was transported back in time. "Oh my gosh!" This is precisely what I was trying to figure out. So I began a journey of recollection.
As a young girl I remember taking numerous test of IQ, placement, and general schoolastic aptitude. I can remember time and time again reading words such as;"What doesn't belong, which one is different, what's wrong with this picture, and which one is not like the other?" While these questions may all seem very "normal", or innocent at first glance I soon realized that's just not so.
Picture an apple and an orange. Rather than ask, "Which one doesn't belong?" why not ask instead, "Which one of these is not the same?", or better yet why even use this line of questioning at all?
You see what I am getting at is the terminology we use to "single" out things around us; especially other people. The wording we use to communicate is extremely powerful. I don't know that the originator/s of these testing methods planned to have us "single" out, but we do. I think a minor change in the wording would greatly reduce the effect of bullying on our society. I really don't think that this type of questioning is a measure of intelligence at all. My opinion solely!
We are all different, and always will be. This is the intrinsic beauty of being who we are. However, if we persist in looking for what is "different", "wrong", or "doesn't belong" regarding other people then it is inevitable that will will discriminate, bully, and abuse each other. I'm just saying...
So the next time you take a test think about the words and try your best to relate them to the subject matter only within the testing parameters, and not society. Considered how you interact with others. Ask yourself...did I just isolate that person because they are different. You might be surprised...I was!
I see myself doing this all the time. I recognized that I was pre-programed to do so, but it is not an excuse. I can change the way I act, and think about others. Recognizing something that doesn't seem safe is different from something that is dangerous. Not all things that are different are a danger. This is where your internal discernment is prudent. We have to self-advocate and learn to rise above. We can be the ones who set a positive example for others to follow.
We can find a better way to assess our intelligence without singling out others I believe. I would like to eliminate these words from my current vocabulary:
1) What's "wrong"?
2) That's "different"!
3) He/She is "weird"!
4) Their "odd"!
I believe if we put the effort in we can find a better way of testing someone's intelligence, or aptitude. However, I'm not totally a fan of testing for this anyway. The inevitable subjectivity of testing doesn't always take into consideration anomalies within individuals. Like me I have had learning issues my whole life, but I am of an extremely high functioning level of intelligence. I had to assess this through alternative testing. The learning "dis-abilities" as it is termed is based on these very discriminating tests. Who's to say I'm learning "dis-abled" in the first place? Just because I'm "different" from the rest doesn't make me wrong.
I was treated like a "dummy", "lazy", and "not interested" as a child. Their words, not mine! I was and am none of those things. I just needed to be understood in a different way. I'm extremely articulate, and very knowledgeable. The point is that it really doesn't matter what others think, but we can do our best not to "isolate" each other in this manner. Let's be mindful of the language we use to describe one another. Be kind.
I'm sure I could find more words I should not use, but for now I am taking small steps. Maybe you can too. Let's work on finding the best in people until they prove differently. If you they prove to be something other than a positive influence in your life then just be grateful they saved your more heartache than you need. I think this world will be a brighter place if we practice the same kindness we would expect others to demonstrate to us.
Blessings!
Annie :)
