Since the beginning, and especially now, mankind has been plagued with a terrible curse. One that strikes fear into the hearts of those it's directed at and gives an air of superiority to the one crazy enough to wield it. This curse goes by many names: "Game Changer," "Nuisance," "Rage Simulator" and so on. But you all know it by a different name--commonly known as Double Standards.

With this form of torture, it doesn't matter if you're in a relationship or not, you're still prone to falling victim to this atrocity. What are they, you ask? Well, if I were to define it in my words, it might get me into trouble, because its meaning varies with each person. But who cares about that? I sure don't!

Double Standards are the ultimate trump cards in the eternal battle of the sexes and races. They're one massive jumble of biases, opinions and crap--yes, I know what I said--that make your blood boil every time they're used. There are many reasons people use these abominations: to get away with something they know is wrong or to enforce one of their viewpoints and demand it not only be acknowledged but carried out. Some use them for revenge, to have someone under their control, and some just do it to be flat out annoying.

For instance: Say you're on a date with this really cute girl, who you've known for a while, and some random guy pops out of nowhere, passes the two of you and you suddenly notice your girlfriend is now staring at that dude's butt. Now, that makes you feel a little uncomfortable, so you call her out on it. She gets LIVID, scolds you about it all the way back to the car and suddenly YOU'RE the one feeling bad, while she's under the impression she did nothing wrong.

Now that you have that wonderful image in your head, let's reverse the roles so that now it's you checking out a girl that passes by. Your date notices, calls you out on it, then goes off on YOU! You try to tell them that it was nothing, even bringing up the point that they were checking out other people too, but that doesn't seem to matter to her. As far as she's concerned, you're the one at fault, not her. It doesn't matter what road is taken, it always ends in a gridlock.

The worst part about double standards is that the scenario I just described is only ONE of many CATEGORIES that can come about when these things are used. Parents tell you to do one thing, even though they do the polar opposite on a regular basis. A guy can get scolded for not holding the door open for a girl, but not thanked when they do. A girl that wants to be treated equally will still chew their date out if they don't pay for her meal. An overweight guy that dates a slim and fit girl is seen as disgusting by other females while an overweight girl getting with a fit guy is seen as "true love" and acceptable. A girl is shunned and called a series of horrible names when she's been with several guys, while a guy in the same position with girls is praised and called a "player." A guy can get playfully punched by a girl, but when they do it back, they're suddenly labelled an abuser. A guy cheats on their girlfriend, then get upset when they hug another guy, and vice versa.

There are even some having to do with race--how only a specific race can say a specific word, but take offence when people of other races use it. A black guy getting cursed out and brought down by black girls for starting a relationship with a girl outside of their race, when a black girl that does the same thing gets love and support from the females of that race. The scenarios never end.

But the thing I find the most surprising about double standards isn't that they're annoying. It's that they can even be used to ruin people's lives on a professional and emotional level.

There are so many reports about guys that have been falsely accused by women of rape, abuse and even murder and are arrested without question because of it. Some men are fathers and husbands and are accused of a crime they didn't commit, but are taken in anyway because of their race. What's worse is that even if they're able to argue their case, their lives are still destroyed afterwards. Because of the accusation being finalized on their records, finding a stable job becomes incredibly difficult. If someone has to do jail time, when they get out, everything they experienced inside stays with them forever. And their family suffers too.

I've been racking my brain for years, wondering why these things are used so often if they can be so dangerous. Then, like a brick wall, the answer hit me right in the face. Power.

Some people are so hungry for power that they'll use anything that could put them above others. Race, sex, culture, it doesn't matter what it is, as long as it gets them ahead of everyone else. I won't name names, but look at our candidates for the current election for crying out loud, they use them every time they open their mouths!

All I'm trying to say is that, while some uses of double standards are innocent, not all of them are. Some are dangerous and can come with a heavy price. In order to prevent these bad ones from happening to you, you need to be aware of people's intentions at all times.