Very thoughtful post, Karen.
Perhaps the careless, unrestrained slapping on of labels and hurling of accusations has something to do with the difference between the cyber world and the real world.
At our computer desks, we are safe against any form of physical violence, immune to crime on the streets, never in need of making a 911 call. Our cyber world is confined to the words that scroll across our monitor. All of our inferences about those we encounter here come purely from the written utterances we read. There are no other clues as to the nature of these personalities, not even the non-verbal signals that abet 3-D conversation. We have not the slightest idea what actions might ever be associated with a poster's written record.
With only characters and symbols on our monitors to go on, maybe we have a tendency to endow written expressions with the actions and behaviors that we hypothesize would be associated with them in the real world. Thus, one who writes suggestively of sexuality becomes a pervert or a rapist. Or one who questions homosexuality is guilty of discrimination or overt action against gays. Or one who criticizes Jews is convicted as an anti-Semite.
Lacking the supporting evidence that would be provided by observed actions and behaviors, perhaps we subconsciously supply the evidence to match the words, based on our real world experiences wherein words and actions are blended. Lacking facts, perhaps we surmise them based upon the words we read.
If this is so to whatever extent -- then, as you say, sometimes we might be right in our judgments. Many times we are no doubt wrong.
Rather than being malicious in intent, we may simply be following the dictates of human nature in needing to create whole persons from no input other than words scrolling across our screens. |
