Yesterday, a random person irritated me and it led me to think about other things that I had been notified on in terms of self. I'll start with what actually happened. I was leaving the parking garage in Westwood and realized when I was at the window that I did not have enough cash for pay for the ticket. But she told me that they also take checks and luckily, I did have my checkbook with me. So I started writing a check as quickly as possible (because I knew people were waiting behind me) and after only about 2 minutes, this a-hole behind me starts yelling and says, "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!!" I was so irritated by his impatience and rudeness. It really did not take that much longer than paying for cash because I wrote my check in 15 seconds flat. I think he SAW me writing the check and was annoyed that I was writing a check because it's not really the norm. But I had no other option because I just didn't have enough cash with me. Of course he was driving some nice car, which irritated me even more that this bastard probably gets every material thing he'd like in life. I don't know why people have to be so impatient in our society... city life is always in a hurry... and for what? I don't even know....
I thought that the guy behind me was being a jerk. And that he was being naive and inconsiderate to others around him.
Naive [nah-eev], adjective: Having or showing a lack of experience, judgment, or information; credulous: i.e. She's so naive she believes everything she reads.
This led me to think about something someone told me yesterday. A friend of mine told me yesterday that they thought I was potentially naive. He had good reason to make this statement, but it bothered me when I thought about it later. Not in the sense that I hate him for saying such a thing or anything like that, but it bothered me because this is something that I've been told before, so I assume other people may think the same of me.
Anyway, the reason he said this about me was because I invited him to come have dinner with my friends and I when I had never met him before in person and only talked online. My main reason for doing such a thing was because we had messaged each other back and forth for a bit of time and I felt from my own judgment of our conversations that he was not some crazy person. I had also offered to burn him some cds, so that was one of the reasons for meeting as well.
And you know.. people say that you should be careful about meeting people online because there's a lot of crazy people there.. but you know what I think? A whole lot of crazy people online, are also from the real world. I guess what I'm saying is that there are crazy people everywhere. I'm NOT saying that you should be completely trusting of anyone and everyone online, but that you should be careful online and offline as well. It's not like I go around meeting people online on a weekly basis. I've met two people face to face after talking to them online, and so far, I feel that I have judged correctly. Sure, it's only two people, and sure it might be just chance or luck that these people were not crazy. But I feel that it wasn't merely those things that constituted the situation for what it was. I feel that I am able to make a fair judge of character, at least to some degree.
But you know... minus the whole online situation, people have told me that they worry about me being too naive. It's not that I don't know that the world is a cold and cruel place. I am aware of the unhappy occurances that happen in the world. I realize that there are crazy people online, that most men are perverts, that there are murderers, kidnappers and people that just don't give a damn. But, it's true. I remain optimistic in general about people. I like to give everyone a fair chance and try my best not to discriminate and judge. People think that I'm naive because I want to give people the benefit of a doubt that they may be a good person. Is that really so wrong? To give people a chance? Sometimes I think that if you treat someone like they are a bad person... then maybe they'll just live up to their predetermined title. It's not that I live in some fairy tale world in my own head and block out the negativity of the world... I am fully aware that people can be a mess, but I choose knowingly to give people a chance because I believe everyone has the potential to be good. And it's not like I do anything completely stupid, like walk by myself late at night in the streets of LA and such.
I am always surprised to find out that after I get to know people who were just acquaintances prior to being friends, that they often thought that I was "stuck up" or "________" (whatever adjective) before they knew me. I don't think I'm stuck up at all. And these people end up saying, "I'm sorry for thinking that way of you when you weren't really that way..." People may come off a certain way, or you might judge them from your own experiences.. but no two people are the same, every single one of us different, so who are we to judge and make assumptions about people we do not know? That's what I believe... and I get called naive for my beliefs. I wish people didn't make so many assumptions about each other. I wish people were more optimistic with one another... don't we all deserve that? A chance?
And if I'm naive for giving people a chance, then to be honest with you, I'd rather be naive than be someone who has lost faith in people. And If one chooses to be naive willingly, does that really make them naive?
....
<3 Karen
Moving - Sunday, Mar. 02, 2008
Rambles and Kansas! - Thursday, Feb. 07, 2008
In Manhattan, Kansas! - Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008
Minnesota! - Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008
First Interview!!! - Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007
