An era of judgment.

I read a social commentary piece today called "7 Reasons the 21st Century is Making You Miserable." The number one thing cited was that we "don't have enough annoying people in our lives." The article argued technology is creating societies made up of like-minded people. Therefore, our tolerance for annoying people has lowered and we get more easily annoyed, in general.

I didn't necessarily agree with all of this article, but did feel they might be on to something. I work in a liberal industry in a liberal town. I'm rarely around people with ideologies vastly different from my own, and that suits me just fine. And when I am around people who have very different beliefs from my own, I do get annoyed. I've always thought this was due to an ego problem, but this column made me think perhaps that's not the case.

Perhaps society is changing in a way that is making us siloed? For example, twenty years ago, people that were really into games like D&D were most likely considered nerds and somewhat ostracized by mainstream society. But with the advent of the internet, they can leave their offices and head home to cyber-communities filled with people just like them. And unlike previous generations that worked for the same company for years and years without complaint, we now have the luxury of knowing what color our parachutes are and what industries are best for us. Then once we've found the right industry, we hop around until we find a company or job that we enjoy, which typically includes having co-workers similar to ourselves.

But the beauty of this something-for-everyone state of things made me wonder if the 21st century will usher in a new set of prejudices and discrimination. These won't be based on race or religion, but other, more stupid shit - like whether you're a Target or Wal-Mart person. Of course I immediately began to think through any stupid prejudices I might have. God knows I've been accused of over-the-top dating discrimination, but did I have any dumb prejudices, generally-speaking?

Turns out I do. Before I reveal these, let me be clear that I recognize they're ridiculous, and yes, if I were pure of heart, I'd accept and love all God's children. But I can be a shallow bitch, and regularly judge others for the following:

- Being an Aggie. (This is a HUGE one, and very problematic given I live in Texas.)
- Owning anything Brighton.
- Not thinking ninjas are awesome.
- Wearing Redwing boots with tapered khakis.
- Ordering overly-fussy coffee drinks.
- Fanny packs.
- Bad home dye jobs (particularly if they involve frosting on men).
- Being a "lake rat".
- Thinking Bud Light is actually good beer.
- Incorporating doilies into home decor.
- Excessive organization.
- Looooooovvvvviiing Vegas.
- Puka shell necklaces.
- Doing too much mommy-talk. (I don't care what different colors/textures of shit indicate.)
- Being both dumb and an asshole. (Either one on their own are fine.)
- Not being or appreciating things that are funny. (And by "funny", I mean what I find funny.)
- Not thinking the word "funny" is funny. Because it is.

Of course there are much, much more. But they'll most likely be the subjects of future blogs. So in the meantime, feel free to judge me for the things on this list, because God knows there's something I'd judge you for.