Something prompted me to write about this. Arrogance to me is something I really dislike. There is a great difference between boastfulness and arrogance. To be boastful is to talk in a self-admiring way while to be arrogant is to be in offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride. To boast occasionally without tones of sarcasm and disdain is in itself not wrong. But arrogance is a completely different subject.

An arrogant person is a person who will disdain others he/she deems inferior and less. An arrogant person judges others, and often avoids associating with those they deem as inferior. A moment of boastfulness cannot compare to a blight in character.

I don't know why this is happening. Now and then, I see some people who seem to be left out, yet everyone else does not care. Many a time, you can tell why. These people who are left out are often different in a way that is seen as "uncool". Perhaps the person is fat, geeky, skinny, quiet etc or a combination or factors. But then I always ask the question: why?

Are today's youth becoming more arrogant, more judgmental?

Is it something to do with wealth? As you know, my school's affiliated institutions have students that are generally of a more wealthy background. Is it something to do with the pervasiveness of pop culture in the general youth population? Or is it elitism becoming increasingly ubiquitous?

I think it is the combination of many factors. From my observation, today's youth are increasingly more and more immersed in pop culture. Close to the heart of today's youth are popular American drama series such as F.R.I.E.N.D.S and gossip girl. When youth watch these shows, they are subscribing to the lifestyle that these shows represent. The music scene contributes greatly to how today's youth view what is socially desirable. Today's youths are constantly obsessed with trivia about celebrity gossip and the latest movies and music.

Consequently, youth's admire the pop culture celebrated by the media via the internet and MTV, correspondingly admiring those amongst them who are the most knowledgeable and immersed in this culture. But then, how does this link to how discrimination comes about in schools? I can sum this up in a story.

You are someone wealthy. You are most likely to be living in a condominium or even better accommodation. Your parents are both working and you have a sizable household income to give you what ever you want. You grew up with the latest gadget and trends, branded goods: Nike, Prada, Xbox, PSP, you name it. Your family was able to afford you all sort of lessons: piano, guitar, tuition. You end up in a junior college because of all the help. You have always been at the centre of attention, as result, you possess an extroverted personality. If you're a guy, you are probably in a sports CCA because that where to cool guys are and you want to impress the girls by getting more buff. If you're a girl, you would avoid sports to keep skinny to impress guys and you would probably focus more on the performing arts and you are very likely to have a lot of experience with pop culture because you simply love to talk about the hottest guy in the latest movie or drama. In school you are in the "in" crowd because you have always been because you can afford to go out and socialise.

You have been very careful in picking your friends. Those who keep to themselves, they are just boring!! Those who are skinny and fat, they are just ugly. You desire attention, you want to gossip, you want to be cool and in!!

But then what becomes of those without the financial capacity to support such a lifestyle. They often possess an introverted personality because they have never been exposed to the pressure of pop culture. They are marginalised. They are disdain because they have never been nurtured in the environment where they had to fight for attention. They are cast aside by those who deem themselves as cool.

What I have just described was a parody of how todays income disparity and pop culture have culminated in the way how some of today's youth in my opinion behave. It may not stand true in all circumstances, but it explains a great deal about why some people behave in a certain way.

Personally, I have experience this, and that is why I know about this trend. There was a time I was in a class where all the 'cool' kids would clique together. It is quite true that these people were more athletic and better looking. But the truth is, the way they segregated the class into two groups, cool and uncool, destroyed class solidarity.

But really, when you see a person who does not conform. Is it fair to leave this person as he/she is? Why do you leave a person out just because he/she does not meet your standards of what is deemed to be 'cool'. "It is the duty of the strong to help the weak", that is what I believe should be the attitude people need to take. As a person who is popular, you do not just keep all the attention to yourself while someone else woolgathers in one corner. It is just not quite right. Always involve everyone. If perhaps a person does not quite fit in, tell him/her with good intentions that he/she needs to change and tell him/her how. We can change others for the better while at the same time making a new friend, what could be a better conclusion. Either that, the best solution is always to never judge. Treat everyone equally and never judge a book by its cover. It is plain arrogance to leave and let be.

Labels: arrogance