Page 25 - Ugly Unicorn

PARENTS NOTES THE UGLY UNICORN
Being funny by making fun of others is not a nice behavior. Saying hurtful things to others is not a nice behavior. Pointing out other’s mistakes to make yourself
look good is not nice behavior.
Gossiping about others is not a nice behavior.
But these “not nice” behaviors seem to
come very naturally to many of us.
If you allow yourself to engage in these “not nice” behaviors, they can become a habit and you may
not realize how hurtful you are being.
In time, others may not want to be around you,
and you will be as lonely as a unicorn.
Thus begins the story of the Ugly Unicorn. It is a story of particular relevance in a society that seems to equate courtesy and compassion with weakness. Ridicule, gossip, and shunning are all behaviors intended to demonstrate our superiority over others. These behaviors are so common because their genesis is in the common irrational thinking of children. But just because it is common does not mean it is desirable.
As with many undesirable behaviors, these behaviors may have had some value in our human prehistory. But in today’s modern society, they lead an individual to develop “character traits” such as a lack of empathy and megalomania that will be unacceptable in many situations. As a society, these immature, irrational beliefs can lead to outpourings of hatred and violence that seems like group psychoses in retrospect.
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