Watch where I’m going!

By MikeDiazTheFirst
This post is part of a series called Thoughts and Ideas
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I have noticed a new phenomenon where someone walking, engrossed in their mobile walks into someone else. People walking while distracted is long been a problem, however as of late there is a new mentality. After the collision, the distracted person feels it is acceptable to say didn’t you see I was distracted? Why didn’t you move so as to avoid the collision? Now the rule of the path of least resistance shows us the non distracted should have moved. A step in either direction and the entire thing could have been avoided. However, A) why should I need to pay attention enough for both of us? B) Are you not responsible for your own movement? C) [my biggest problem] This leads to a unproductive conversation about who we are verse what we are doing. 

Person A walking distracted, bumps into Person B. Person A asks (directly or indirectly) Why didn’t you adjust for my not paying attention. Person B says you were distracted. Person A (90% of my observations) says well you’re X and therefore chose to not give me way since I am Y. Now we are involved in a conversation about who each of us are in society, maybe even discussing the sins of our forefathers, instead of seeing the actions before us. No matter who Person A or Person B is, Person A walked into Person B, period. 

Now Person B has undoubtedly been distracted once in their life, and therefore a simple sorry or excuse me should suffice. But Person A needs to take onus of the collision. Not that Person A needs to apologize for their family history either, but Person A was at fault. There is nothing wrong with a small accident. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has been distracted. Why have we lost the ability to look at the situation removed from the players and say this person is in the wrong or that person was. Especially when it is over such a trivial matter as bumping into each other on the side walk. If we can not do this, how can we ever hope to decipher any complex issues.

People now walk with no regard for what or who may be in their way, and if you don’t move you are causing a problem. It almost makes sense to not pay attention that way you can bump into others and yell at them. Why would you pay attention if paying attention means you need to move out of everyone not paying attentions way. 

This is even showing up within our technology. Now when a car cuts you off, your modern car auto breaks to avoid an accident. Now I think we can all agree that it is better for everyone if two cars don’t collide. However, the “offended”  is forced to make room as apposed to the aggressor being forced to give way. 

I read an article about some programers worry that AI cars would be continually taken advantage of. The programming choosing safety over anything would mean that any car could cut the AI “driver” off and AI would make way, and make way, and make way… Soon the AI car could be essentially bullied off the road, or at least further and further back in the line of traffic. 

We are “programing” ourselves to do this. In humans it’s usually called conditioned but the principles are the same. Soon the aggressor will merely reach for what they want and everyone will make way. But who will be the aggressor? Will our society spilt into two factions the aggressors and the meek? Or will our entire society become meek waiting for someone to simply reach for what they want while we recoil, since we can see they are going for it. 

I don’t understand why I have to even talk about this… Person A walked into Person B. If you can not take responsibility for your own movement what can we hold anyone responsible for? 

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MikeDiazTheFirst

Mike was born in Queen, New York to a blue collar family. An avid self educator, artist, and traveler he’s traveled around the globe three times while immersing himself in the culture of 48 different countries and counting.  Read about his journeys and musings here.

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One thought on “Watch where I’m going!”

  • Fred Schwendel November 3, 2018 at 4:03 pm

    This is so on point. And very detailed, especially the part about being bullied further and further back down the line. If this happens to you, and it occurs among a familiar group of people, if you finally stand up for yourself, you will further be bullied from another angle as being “out of sequence with your usual behavior.” But that still won’t make me want to be an aggressive bully. Nice work.

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