Societal ‘norms’ have changed over the years.

Some have changed for the better. But many have not, in my estimation.

Today’s young people have no perspective on many of these changes. Why? Because they’re too young to have experienced what society was like decades ago.

But for us middle aged (and older) folks, many of these changes are stark and clear.

Ultra Tolerance in today’s America

Do you know what I mean by that?

In short, the social ‘norms’ today are such that we are expected to ‘tolerate’. While tolerance is good to an extent, ultra tolerance is going overboard or taking tolerance to an extreme. Particularly on issues which fly in the face of common sense.

Young people (many of whom are now adults) have been brought up in a environment where they were taught that it’s bad to challenge the new (at the time) political correctness ideals. Today it’s much worse.

They’re a coddled generation (and the one behind them) lacking in the skills of verbal debate and disagreement. They apparently do not understand the concept of our First Amendment and free speech in America.

When confronted with real world differing of opinion (especially in the political realm, or that of one’s own ideals and core beliefs!), some of these people tend to ‘flip out’ or go ‘bat$hit crazy’ in response. Which of course is ironic, given their upbringing in a environment of ultra tolerance.

On another note, how long now has everybody been a winner? It has become frowned upon to criticize performance, to have losers, to punish.

In general, today’s societal ultra tolerance ‘norms’ have resulted in a bunch of softies. Coddled spoiled brats. Indoctrinated into a particular mindset at most of our schools and Universities.

Eventually, when they’re out of the cocoon and don’t get their way, or when confronted with real world differences of opinion (or God forbid, losing!), they throw a tantrum.

Do you know what I mean? Is this making sense? You’ve seen it, right?

Yesterday’s America

Years ago, before the shift into ultra tolerance, people were ‘tougher’, thicker skinned so to speak. They weren’t a bunch of cry-baby whiny pants pansy ass sniveling snotty brats. I know, I’m painting with a very broad brush. But you get the idea…

It was not uncommon to have your failures pointed out. To have your work criticized. To be punished when you were ‘bad’. To actually lose sometimes. Not always getting your way (seldom getting your way).

People had little choice but to face tough issues head-on. Put up or shut up (gasp!). Some people were bullies, just as it always was. And you just had to deal with it one way or the other.

Side note: I recall when I was young, having been harassed at school by a ‘bully’ for awhile. One day in gym class I had enough – he challenged me to fight – I accepted – it would be right after school. Word spread, a crowd gathered at the agreed upon place and time. He was bigger than me. I was so ‘mad’ that I ended up beating the $hit out of this bully. I was never bothered again.

(Today, the school would go under lock-down, SWAT would be called, and subsequent ‘special training’ would be required before re-entering society.)

Why did I bring up that story? Because that’s how real life works. Life isn’t soft. It’s hard, or can be hard at times. As we grow up, so long as we’re not sheltered from ‘real life’, we are forced to learn how to deal with things.

Ultra Tolerance isn’t Real Life

Today’s ultra tolerance has sheltered too many people from ‘real life’. The teachers of this tolerance believe that they can change the world in this regard. To make it some sort of utopian society where there is no tolerance for the things they deem intolerable.

The problem is however, we are human beings. We are who we are, even with all of our flaws and bad tendencies. We are capable of good, bad, and even very bad. Our human nature cannot be changed or controlled under an umbrella of forced ultra tolerance.

Instead, we must LEARN how to deal with each other, how to recover from failure, and a multitude of other uncomfortable truths in life.

Learning begins when we’re young. It extends into adulthood as life’s uncomfortable truths reveal themselves.

The problem today is, ultra tolerance is killing America. It has divided us dangerously.

In your opinion, what are some examples of today’s expected ultra tolerance? What are you being forced to accept that doesn’t make sense to you? Why have we become this way?