I have grown up with the idea that I have the obligation to suppress my behavior, attitude, and choice of clothing to create comfort and to deter stimulation of other individuals. I felt this way because I was taught this; I was taught that in order to create a better environment for myself and others, I had to assist in creating this desired environment, which unfortunately came at the expense of my ability to express myself.
I quickly learned how demeaning, inappropriate, and objectifying such an obligation was. Not only did I believe that I had to learn to behave in a way that would prevent another’s actions, but I believed that I had to actively dress myself in a manner that would constrain possible immoral behavior. Thinking back on it, it actually doesn’t make sense.
How did we even get ourselves to believe that in order to create a better world for all, some of us had to restrict ourselves of our ability to express ourselves?
Instead of teaching human beings to control their urges, society has taught human beings to leverage themselves in order to constrain the immoral behaviors of others. This level of logic continues to baffle me. I don’t see the effectiveness of suppressing a group of people in order to liberate another group of people. In theory, by choosing to suppress, you birth levels of hierarchy, inequality, and injustice. I continue to encounter this theory to suppress in order to ignite moral behavior and I constantly denounce it in my everyday life.
Never should one feel the need to suppress oneself to prevent another’s immoral actions/behaviors.
AND
Never should one be taught that one should do so.
I am not sure if I truly expressed a cohesive thought. As I remain extremely passionate about this topic, my thoughts and opinions remain cohesive in my mind but lack cohesion when expressed in a concrete manner. Frankly, I solely touched the surface of this greater issue, but I hope to delve deeper into this topic.I hope that I made some sense, and If anyone out there would like to discuss this topic more in detail, I would be more than glad to engage in a conversation.
Thank you for listening.