I watch the increasing number of comments that are cropping up around the internet like Eric Schmidt, CEO Facebook and TV like Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, discussing their take on embarrassing thing posted about you or you post about yourself on the internet. The opinions ranging from changing your name to don’t put those things up.
I am baffled about the whole situation. It seems more and more, “careful” is the new advice for everything. You rarely hear mainstream advice telling people to stop their bad behavior, or embarrassing behavior. It totally seems the focus is on, don’t get caught.
Is that what we have become as a society, theorists that everyone is doing it, but those who get caught are bad. And if they aren’t hiding what they are doing and are fine with the embarrassment and publicity, they get to be celebrities.
Where are the real people anymore, you know that ones that are ok with who they are, have nothing to hide and are still decent people? It used to be that you could tell everything you need to know about someone by a firm handshake and them being able to look you in the eye.
If you don’t want it known, don’t do it.
If you don’t want it repeated, don’t say it.
Be yourself, anyone else is an imposter.
It's not a new concept... Authoritarian parenting, leading and 'bossing'lead to 'don't get caught' behavior. It's been going on since time began... It's just that now we get to see both sides, since it's harder and harder to hide these unconscious acts of rebellion against whoever is the authority.
When our society, parents and church leaders especially, learn to guide with compassion, mercy and grace maybe we won't need to be so quick to make rebellious decision in the short term that hurt us in the long term.
If we know that we will indeed be disciplined in this manner our fear of retribution from authority is lessened and our need to constantly challenge is also decreased.