Monsters, Inc.

Today I was reminded several times how many "monsters" there are out there. I saw bad sides of several people today. This made me start to think about how we create monsters out of people. We let people get away with things over and over, and sometimes never say anything. If a person does something negative once or twice, and no one corrects them, in their head, it is justified to continue doing.

I will be the first to admit I have created several monsters in my life. I have let friends take advantage of me without ever saying a word. I was probably too afraid to "rock the boat," so I just let them continue their negative behavior. What if I had stopped them earlier on and said something? Would this have changed them or changed our relationship? One will never know. I know I have created a monster in my dog. He is spoiled rotten and I did that to him. I always give him what he wants. I was very close to naming him "Sully." He was a character from a kid's movie called "Monsters, Inc." Go figure. That would have been more fitting than the name he has. I believe I am a monster too. I am sure my family would love to tell of my monstrous ways.

Are we co-signing the behavior of people around us by not saying anything at all? Are we creating monsters out of people? Take a look at your significant others, coworkers, bosses, friends, children, parents, clients, etc. Would they be a better, more likable, successful human beings if we just told them about their damaging behavior? Are we saying it is okay for people to lie, cheat, steal, whine, bitch, drink to excess, etc?

Society creates monsters too. Government, media, school, and corporations do this everyday. As I was finishing my sushi tonight, American Idol was on. This is a silly example, but media creates monsters out of these people who try out for this show. It glorifies making fun of the dregs of society. Most recently, the government has created monsters out of these big corporations by "bailing" them out. Schools create monsters by not addressing negative actions or lack of intelligence, but simply sweep them under the rug or pass them on to the next grade.

I will think about this before I create another monster.

kt