500-WORD RANT #4
I’m About to Project All Over Your Projections.
A plea for self-awareness.
Last week, I ranted about drowning in popular writing. Today‘s rant is about being buried under an avalanche of bullshit.
I can be just as guilty as anyone, but I’ve had enough people in my life tell me if I’m full of it to begin to recognize it when it’s true.
Can you?
Projection is a psychological defense mechanism in which people deny the existence of negative impulses or qualities in themselves by attributing them in others.
Every day, the media bombards us with quotes from the Liar-in-Chief.
For example, Trump’s Foundation allegedly misused campaign contributions and pocketed funds directed toward helping veterans. Here was the campaign’s statement:
“The Clintons have spent decades as insiders lining their own pockets and taking care of donors instead of the American people.” — Agent Orange, 8–22–16
After the dust settled, with the election long over, the criminal investigation continued. Then, the real news came out:
The Donald J. Trump Foundation has agreed to dissolve amid allegations from the New York Attorney General’s Office that it engaged in a “shocking pattern of illegality.” — 12–18–18
When leaders act so irresponsibly, is it surprising when other groups and individuals engage in increasingly extreme behavior?
Disclaimer: I know there are millions of cases of discrimination and microaggressions.
Feminists: if a woman advocates arming 12-year-old girls with revolvers (I didn’t make this up) and you support them, you are projecting your insanity, not making a valid social statement.
Social Media Warriors: Screaming on social media about the lack of ideological purity in your allies might be a sign that you feel guilty about not doing the actual work of the activists on the protest line.
Finally, there’s positive projection, where you see positive qualities in others that you value in yourself.
Men: you may think it’s admirable to sacrifice your spare time to make your woman happy, and want to tell them about it. They might not appreciate the fact you don’t find the same bliss in remodeling.
Women: your ability to read subtle, non-verbal clues to anticipate others’ desires doesn’t mean your man can do the same thing. Please stop saying: “if you loved me, you’d know without me telling you.” Their inability to read minds is not a sign they don’t care.
(P.S.: And no, women can’t read minds — you don’t know the exact nature of the food, sexual position, or movie we want at any given moment.)
Spouses: not everything carries the same meaning for each of you. Just because the song played for the first dance at your wedding is a treasured memory, doesn’t mean your wife should care or remember.
