A day doesn't pass when I don't hear someone shame another. The worst part is, most of the time, it is something the person can't control. We live in a shame culture and that's not OK.
Society needs to stop shaming people for being themselves. Stop judging others for not fitting your ideal body image or for something you don't understand. Don't put people down because they don't look like you or live the life you think is ideal. Everyone is different and frankly, it's none of your business if someone wants to sleep around. It doesn't affect your life if people want to look like Victoria's Secret models.
No one likes being bullied and I'm sure everybody has been bullied at some point in their lives. Think of the pain your bully has called and how it hurt to be insulted regularly. Words have the potential to cause more damage to a person than physical violence and people need to remember that. To me, shaming is a form of bullying. You are putting a person or a group of people down because, for whatever reason, you don't agree with their way of life. But who are you to tell someone how to live their life? If they aren't breaking the law or directly affecting your life, who cares, move on. The way someone looks isn't going to cause any permanent damage to your eyes.
While I don't condone shaming, these four things I am a firm believer people should never be shamed for.
Weight
I feel like society has taken one step forward, two steps back when it comes to shaming people regarding their weight. Having curves and a booty are in. People are starting to stand up to those who did fat shame and take a stand against the modeling industry for only praising stick thin girls. Heavier people are starting to be able to feel more comfortable in their bodies but for some reason, this opened the door for skinny shaming. The same people who were putting the modeling industry down are now sharing pictures on Facebook claiming that "real women have curves" and "only dogs like bones." These people have become the people they took a stand against and that's not OK.
When are people going to learn that humans come in all shapes and sizes. Don't put someone down for being slightly overweight or slightly underweight because they are not your ideal body weight. I'm happy with the way my body looks. Don't tell me to go eat a couple of cheeseburgers because you think I would look better if I gained a couple of pounds. You don't hear me telling someone to eat a salad because I think they would look better if they lost weight. It's about being happy in your own body. If someone feels that way, you should celebrate with them. Keep in mind, that person who you are calling "fat" may be in the middle of a weight loss journey and may have already lost 35 pounds.
You may want to look curvy like the Kardashians, while I may yearn to look like the Victoria's Secret models. Everyone has their own unique ideal image of what they wish their body looked like. There are guys who like thick girls and guys who like skinny girls. Stop putting people down for their weight and accept one another.
Health
Part of this goes hand in hand with the weight part. Don't justify shaming other people for their weight because you think it is bad for their health. Don't justify calling someone fat and putting them down because they may be shortening their lifespan. This person you are saying it to may be overweight, but it doesn't concern you. Leave the person be and stop making them feel bad over something as minuscule as their weight and try to justify it to yourself by claiming you were looking out for their health.
Also, stop shaming people for having a mental illness of any kind. Don't accuse any one of seeking attention because they tell others they're depressed or have anxiety. Just because you can't physically see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If you don't have or have ever had the condition, don't shame them because you don't know what they go through on a daily basis. Someone is not "crazy" because they have a mental illness. Don't call someone who is having an anxiety attack dramatic because you've never had one and don't know what it is like. If you ever had depression and are still shaming someone, well then, shame on you. You should know the pain and should know that not everyone's experience is the same.
Sex Life
Stop shaming others for living a sexual more promiscuous life than you lead. Especially women. I'm sure you know men who sleep around as often as that women you call a "slut" and think nothing of it. Don't feed in to the social hypocrisy belief that if a man has sex, it is OK, but if a woman has sex, then she is a wh***. Sex is a natural human urge, and unless this person is sleeping with your boyfriend and directly affection your relationship, then stop slut shaming. Having sex has proven health benefits anyway.
Gender/Sexuality
People need to learn to look at this topic with an open mind. If a woman loves another woman, what is wrong with that? Have you ever been able to turn who you love on and off? I thought not. This is something embedded in a person that they cannot control. Stop shaming people for being homosexual, transgender, gender fluid, whatever. These people are trying to be comfortable in their own body and you shaming them doesn't make that task any easier. There's so much tragedy in this world and it's disgusting people shame others for who they love and for trying to express who they are.
Stop shaming people for their weight, their health, their sex life, and their gender sexuality. Stop slut shaming, stop fat shaming, stop skinny shaming, stop it all. Think about the words you are saying and how you would feel if the tables were turned. Everybody is unique and you are putting people down for things they can't control. People with a mental illness didn't ask for one. There are bigger issues in the world to harp on then these miniscule things. Love one another, go through life with an open mind, accept the things you don't understand, and the world would be a more positive place.
