Throwing Stones

People love throwing stones at each other. Being judgmental as we are, we love looking at the flaws of others, highlighting them and broadcasting them to the world in bold letters. Oftentimes we forget that the very same flaws exist in us and because we are too busy minding other people's business, we already forget to look within ourselves.

"Now, standing in a pile of shards where a glass house once stood, I can't remember who threw the first stone. Maybe it was me. Maybe not. It doesn't matter. The stone-throwing got so intense that I forgot why they were being thrown to begin with. Oh, yeah. I remember. I was pointing my finger at others and accusing them of things for which I was equally, if not more, guilty. For every stone I threw, a bigger one came back at me." (from: Goals of a Recovering Idiot)

Reading those lines from a web article I've read triggered some thoughts in my mind. Those lines were honest, bare and hits the heart.

Many times I have been guilty of the same thing. Throwing stones at others who also throw stones at me. At first we hurl pebbles to each other, smirking whenever the other speaks or laughing behind each others backs. Then we found bigger stones and started throwing them at each other, not necessarily minding who gets hit and what happens after that. The only thing we want is to get even, to hurt the others more than they hurt us, to prove who hits better. And then we found boulders of great sizes and we decided to hurl them at each other too. In the end, nobody won---we all end up wounded and tired.

Instead of taking direct actions and accepting our mistakes and respecting each others individuality we opted to act like a bunch of neanderthals and started throwing darts on each other. We could have save ourselves from pain if we only realized earlier that throwing stones at each other only makes life harder.

We are all idiots. At some point in our lives, we all become idiots. I guess I have to agree with whoever the author of that essay is when he said that the "things that annoy us about others are often characteristics we possess." True isn't it? I guess I understand why.

Oftentimes, we pretend that we are perfect, that we are free from flaws and that flaws only exist in others and not in us. So when somebody comes along who possess the characteristics we try so hard to ignore in ourselves, we start hating them. Why? Because its like facing a mirror and seeing a huge ugly scar on your face. Or I guess its more like facing a magnifier which emphasizes all the flaws you are so desperate to hide.

Instead of facing the fact that those scars exist and instead of focusing on healing the scars, we often opt to blame the scars, hate it and scratch it hoping that if we do it will go away. WRONG. The scar will of course stay and instead of making it better, you only made it look worst.

Throwing stones at each will not make a problem go away. Something that we should always remember.

Pretend to be deaf

When you don't like what other people say about you, pretend to be deaf. When you know that what they are saying will not help you in anyway, pretend to be deaf. If you know that what people around you is saying will only ruin you, pretend to be deaf.

Listen only when you know that what they are saying can help you. Listen only when you know that what they are saying will turn you into a better person. Listen only when you know that they are speaking with sense.

If you listen to everything that people say about you, you'll lose your sanity. Different people will tell you different things. People will say a lot of things about you, most of the times contradicting opinion of you. If you think what they are saying is not true, then why bother with them? Don't mind the rumors, who cares what other people say about you? You know yourself better than them.

Remember that however they describe you doesn't matter, you know what is true from what is not. Their perception of you will only be validated if you act the way they expect you to act. If they say you're a bitch and you start acting like one, then of course, you became what they expect you to be.

But the question is, are you what they say you are?If you know you are not, then pretend to be deaf. You're better off without listening to those people. You can live without them you know.

10 SIMPLE THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER

You will only know what a person really is by the way he faces criticisms hurled at him. A person who gracefully accepts criticisms and learns from it is more intelligent and worth respecting than those who never wants to hear their faults pointed out.

Fact one: You cannot mold people in your hands. You may influence them but you can never force them to fit in a molder that doesn't fit them.

Fact two: A person's behavior is influenced by his upbringing, his environment, his emotions, experiences and state of mind (and that's about less than half of all the things that could affect behavior). The way you act and react speaks a lot of the kind of breeding you have. You cannot expect a person to react the way you would react in a situation because the factors that affects you does not necessarily affect them.

Fact three: You cannot judge a person based on one incident for reasons stated above.

Fact four: Each individual deals with their problems in their own different way. Don't expect them to behave like you do.

Fact five: You cannot expect understanding and respect from people you don't try to understand and respect.

Fact six: Action speaks louder than words.

Fact seven: Its always irritating and hurtful to hear the truth but sometimes, you just have to deal with the harshness of life.

Fact eight: It will only hurt if it hits.

Fact nine: A tiny crack can break even the strongest shield.

Fact 10: There is such a thing as GROW UP.