Wow, Way To Judge!
"...there is a certain line you cross when you share your opinion in order to talk down to someone." (Photo Credit: blogspot.com)
BY KELSEY LEWCZYNSKI, Guest Columnist
I am pursuing a major in English. If you are like my friends, whose degrees are math and science heavy, you probably just rolled your eyes (at least mentally). Either that or you are like one friend in particular who actually scoffed. Why am I being scoffed at? Is there anything wrong with wanting to take language courses? I ask her why – already at this point I’m eager to get to my next class that’s an hour away – and she says that I’m smarter than that.
It’s nice to know that people wanting a major in English are all of inferior intelligence to the all-powerful bio majors, but let me set the sarcasm aside for a second and say this: JUST because you are a getting a degree that involves science (or math or engineering for that matter) does NOT make you any smarter than anybody else.
Furthermore, getting a degree in English (or communications, or psychology, or art history) ALSO doesn’t mean you’re smarter than anybody else. Having a degree in one area does not give you the right to talk down to anyone. Your judgmental opinion – and tone, I might add – is really not needed here at UM-Dearborn. Don’t get me wrong, you’re allowed to think this all you want. If you want to hate anything (this can expand to other categories like music, taste in comedy, movies, etc.), it’s completely your right, but there is a certain line you cross when you share your opinion in order to talk down to someone.
How many times have you heard this? “You work in fast food/customer service/construction? Probably should’ve gone to college!” Or this? “You’re a theist/an atheist? You’re so brainwashed/I already think you’re a jerk!” I could go on, and I will. “You like Nickelback/Justin Bieber/Twilight? Please go die.”
See what’s wrong here? You hear one fact about someone, and you automatically categorize that person as an idiot, as ignorant, as lazy, as laughable. You’re taking something that makes someone happy, and twisting it into something that that person should be ashamed of. At the same time, you put yourself on a pedestal with your “informed opinion.” That’s not fair. I know that you may think that you have all the answers in the world, and that your opinion is so valuable that it must be shared and taken as fact, but guess what? You’re wrong. You’re absolutely wrong. If we continue judging people on something that makes them happy or on something that gives them fulfillment or on something that you find to be below you, then we have a serious problem as a human population.
In conclusion–and this is something you’ve been taught in elementary school–think before you speak. People may start thinking more highly of you!
