Why Are Some People Such Jerks? There are two key reasons.
Written by: Tina Gilbertson (Are you the author?)
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There’s no excuse for adults to blast loud music throughout the neighborhood at 3 a.m., or let their dogs do their business on other people’s lawns.
That “no excuses” dictum goes double for adults who hurt, bully, or Heaven forbid, kill people.
In a healthy society, none of those acts are considered normal or desirable.
Most people who are well-adjusted and reasonably happy behave in prosocial ways. However, antisocial behavior is not uncommon and needs to be addressed societally so that it doesn’t grow.
To that end, it’s helpful to try to understand the roots of poor behavior.
Naming and highlighting possible causes of bad behavior is not the same as excusing or condoning it.
The reason to understand unwanted behavior is so that we can try to intervene upstream and stop it from developing in the first place.
Two major causes of much of the poor behavior we see in our society are ignorance and trauma.
It’s Not Bliss for Others
Not knowing (i.e., ignorance) is part of the picture more often than recognized. We tend to underestimate the role that ignorance plays in many unfortunate scenarios.
If I find your banana in the office kitchen and I eat it for lunch, is it because I’m obnoxious? A thief? Or could it be that I mistook your banana for mine?
If you and your friends are talking loudly on your patio late at night, does that make you an inconsiderate jerk? Or could it be that you don’t know how far your voices carry, or that my husband is sick and needs to sleep?
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