Raising awareness that shit happens
There are so many things that baffle me about modern society.
There is the obsession with self, evidenced by the Selfie craze and having to stick every aspect of life on social media. There is the obsession with so called “celebrities”. There is of course the craze for political correctness that is sweeping the world. But there is another that I see on a daily basis which has me utterly confused.
The obsession with “raising awareness”.
What the fuck is that all about? Some kid sticks his finger in a power socket and instantly the parents have to start a campaign to “raise awareness” of the dangers of electricity. Someone else’s parent dies of some disease and before the victim is even planted in the graveyard they’re off raising awareness of said disease. Why? What do they hope to achieve? I am either already aware of this cause or I’m not, and if I’m not, the chances are I don’t give a fuck.
I have a simple theory to explain this phenomenon, and I’m putting up for peer review so I can publish it in some godforsaken science paper.
My theory is that these people are on a massive guilt trip. Their kid stuck his finger on the power socket and even while he is still glowing they start a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of electricity, simply because they themselves didn’t know it was dangerous. They thought it was all nice and cuddly and safe and assume that everyone else is as thick as them, hence the campaign.
So every “awareness campaign” is simply a very pubic admission that the campaigner is as thick as pig-shit and assumes everyone else is too. What they are shouting from the rooftops is that they wish someone had made them aware of some danger or other and now they are on a massive guilt trip. Too little, too late, I say.
I genuinely get the impression that these people live in some kind of bubble-wrapped world where everything is so safe and protected, when suddenly real life steps in and bites them in the arse, thereby shattering their illusions [and giving them a valuable life lesson in the process] and they genuinely think that everyone else is as dim as themselves.
Of course in some situations they had a “couldn’t happen to me” attitude and discovered that it can indeed happen to them, not realising that they merely drew the short straw.
So next time you see someone “raising awareness” of some topic, you can just rest assured that someone has just received a valuable lesson in reality.
I blame the Nanny State.
Well said!
It all went mad after the Herald of free enterprise sank off Zebrugge. They changed the law to “Corporate responsiblity”. Before that people did their own risk assessments (Like look where you’re going). Since then the sheeple have been conditioned into believing everything is safe.
It’s all part of the modern society where far too much emphasis is placed on health and safety. People no longer seem to realise that it’s a big bad world out there and if you do something stupid you will be hurt.
To be fair, when taking a ferry, one does expect the crew to close the bow doors before setting off. I’d call that a reasonable expectation.
Its called the “arrogance of ignorance”©
Shock! Horror! Electricity can kill you – that has been known since it was first put into people’s houses! One of the Distant Rellies used to work for the Electricity Board long before it was privatised and used to regale us with tales such as the old dear who used to put all the plugs she could find into all the sockets in her house because she was frightened the electricity would leak out during the night. Another incident involved two elderly sisters trying to change a light bulb but couldn’t get it to work so one sister decide to lick the socket….(the other one had to arrange her funeral in the dark – sorry my jest!) Seems some of us haven’t progressed very far in the interim!
People would be better served if their awareness was raised to see the corruption of most politicians and gubermints!!!
It’s also part of the “something must be done” mentality. Something bad happens – something must be done so it doesn’t happen again. All cars must drive at 5mph, all rivers and lakes must be surrounded by barbed wire [suitably padded] and chain link fencing, all window blinds must have cords removed in case a child hangs itself.
As a side note, I used to hang around with a crowd in my student days. One day for the devilment I told the girls that vacant sockets leak electricity and that it tends to pool on the floor overnight. Absolute panic! Someone spoiled it though by telling them I was joking.
Mmmm. I think there might also be a need to publicize one’s grief. Emotional incontinence has become a way of life for many – I blame bloody Princess Di! But what better way to get publicity than to pretend it’s all for the sake of protecting the innocent. Or am I too cynical?
Cynicism is the ony way to stay sane these days.
“Emotional incontinence”? I like that. Mind if I steal it? (with your permission of course).
Forget all your problems Grandad I see Dope Francis is making a visit in 2018 start counting the days off.
The real reason for that visit is here.
Yup. That’s the one…
Here I thought that the 80s was considered the decade of the “me” generation (if those idiots of the “disco” generation had smart phones back then would they have taken selfies of their gold chains, platform shoes and hairy chests?).
And I stuck my finger in an electrical socket when I was but a wee shaver and that was only because my parents told me not to. If they hadn’t told me not to I wouldn’t have. But I did and I lived through the experience just fine…ack…fine…ack…fine…ack…
I rammed a steel knitting needle into a socket when I was a kid. I had a needle in my hand and there was an interesting hole in the wall, so what was I supposed to do?
I have had a strange respect for sockets and knitting needles ever since.