I simply cannot get over the fact that I'm a student at Dartmouth College. I've been here for over a year now, but I still get chills when I hear the Alma Mater played on the Baker bells at 6 p.m. I hear a lot of people complaining about life here, but, personally, college is everything I've ever wanted and then some. The general population (myself included) is quick to criticize, and certainly it's worthwhile to challenge things and try to make them better. However, I think it's equally worthwhile to take a moment to appreciate how lucky we are. I've never experienced such an accepting, dynamic community as the one I find at Dartmouth.
Constantly searching out the negatives in life leads only to a selfish, dissatisfied existence. Whereas appreciating what we are given not only leads to happiness and contentment, it also forces each of us to realize how lucky we are. Perhaps, we will realize that there are so many people who are not as fortunate as we are. People without freedom, food, shelter, love, or a fair chance at being happy in life.
Showing and feeling respect for the cultures, customs, and experiences of those around us is so important. Yet how can we accomplish that if we are absorbed in finding fault in the way others treat us? When an individual offends you in some way, shouldn't you stop to consider their motive before attacking them? Was their action done with malicious intent? Was it the product of ignorance or of stupidity, or was it a genuinely uncaring action? I believe that a different response is required in each of these cases.
We must have empathy for everyone, not just people caught in the same boat as ourselves, not just minorities, not just the poor, not just those who live in our own country. All people have a right to our sympathy and understanding. We should all try to be more aware of others' feelings. Yet it is impossible to make it through life without offending people at one time or another. I think it is important to recognize that each one of us have a lot of exclusive tendencies, ignorance and prejudices within us.
I am willing to bet that no one reading this article can honestly say that they never gossiped about the way someone dressed, or made a derogatory comment about someone's religious beliefs, or judged a group of people based on a superficial knowledge of them. We cannot stop saying mean things overnight, but we can try to be more understanding when people say them about us. An affronted person has every right to get angry, but a little forgiveness now and then never hurt anybody.
On another note, I think that the term oversensitive is misused quite frequently. I don't think it's possible for someone not to notice derogatory comments or actions made against them or a group they belong to, but how they react is what is important. There are some battles not worth fighting, some things it is better to leave alone. And when it is time to educate the community, it's of the utmost importance that it's handled carefully or the attempt is bound to fail.
We should spend more time appreciating the love in our lives, the friends we have and the greater understanding we can achieve and less time pondering the hate we feel, the enemies we make and the injustice we experience. Only with a true appreciation of the good things in life can we battle injustice correctly. Because it is injustice that should be fought, not people. All too often we lose sight of that. A particular person or group is cited as evil when, in reality, it is their actions that have angered us, not their selves.
So, I implore you to find a few moments here and there to look around and appreciate your friends, your situation and your luck at being a student here. I think you'll feel a little better about yourself and a little more hopeful about the future.
