A few of us have a tendency to make fun of people or insult people we envy, consider inferior, consider a competition or consider ‘put down-able’. For some time, I was not an exception to this self-sabotaging act. What about you?
I know my darling; you don’t hate everyone you know. But, but, but…and this is a biiiiiig butttttt….there will be a few people in your ‘I-dislike-them’ book. If not, then you are really a great soul or a big liar.
Here is a face-saving truth. It is absolutely normal to have a few dislikes. No matter how hard we want to like someone, we just cannot get along well with ‘some’ people.
Here is an interesting fact. We dislike a few people for (some) valid reason while for others we have no valid reason at all! We just don’t seem to like some people. Period. Pretty lame, isn’t it? Yet, we are adamant in disliking some people. Now and then, we end up humiliating some of these people.
What happens when we humiliate people? Here are two incidents known to most Indians.
After he was humiliated by Dhananand, Chanakya untied his ‘shikha’, and swore revenge. What proceeded next is history…
When he fell into a camouflaged pool of water inside her new palace, Draupadi made fun of Duryodhana by saying ‘the son of a blind is also blind’; a humiliated Duryodhan decided to exploit the Pandavas and strip them of their ‘rights’. He too moved into revenge ‘mode’.
World history is full of such examples of humiliation leading to hurt leading to revenge leading to downfall.
Whatever be the temptation, here are a few more reasons why we should NEVER humiliate others.
1) When we humiliate someone the negative thoughts that we build within, first harm us and then affect the other person; overall exchange- only negative.
2) Don’t make fun of anyone because that person might turn into our biggest competition. People do care for money and profits, but they care more for self-esteem and social respect.
3) It’s always more profitable to have friends than foes. Humiliation/mockery sows the seed of hatred. It waters the plant of low self-esteem. By making fun of someone, we lower our chances of acquiring help when needed, from that person. And we never know, whose help we will need when. Better be safe than sorry.
4) It’s really a bad bargain to buy an enemy/opponent/competitor at the price of ‘venting of disgust’ or of sharing a few giggles. We are smart. Let’s behave that way.
5) Silently and unknowingly, sub-consciously, we start looking out for people who ‘might’ (according to us) be wanting to put us ‘down’. Even if they don’t have any such intention, we start believing they ‘do’. It spoils even genuine relationships. Feedbacks start sounding like personal attacks. We live on the edge of emotional burn.
The wise say, ‘humiliating others is like a matchstick that burns before it can burn anything’.
It will be a super smart and civilised thing to respect fellow people. Moreover, it’s also great for our own safety, profit and peace.
Next time, you feel like humiliating someone, take a deep breath, smile and think about this article. And think about yourself too.
