Isn't that a great quote??? It's a pop culture reference (The Simpson's) from Supernatural's Season 4, the episode called "Sympathy for Satan." Dean Winchester, played to the hilt by Jensen Ackles, says that line to one of God's "angels." In the Supernatural series, God's angels are anything but cherubic.
How many times have you wanted to say something similar? Be honest. Maybe not to one of God's angels...but then again....
It's healthy to express anger, disappointment, frustration--but in constructive ways. In ways that bring you closure but also, don't really hurt anyone. Shows like Supernatural fit the bill in such cases. The audience can vicariously be "heroes" through Sam and Dean...and through lines like, "Cram it with walnuts, Ugly...."
But when a TV show or movie or really great rock song doesn't cut it, how do you safely express your feelings without breaking social decorum?
It's an ironic question to ask--if YOU are feeling anger, frustration or disappointment, it's probably because another individual, or group of individuals, didn't care about appropriate social behaviors. Which is EXACTLY why we love characters like Dean Winchester so much; he has a mouth, and knows how to use it. But Eric Kripke, creator of the Supernatural concept, who is also working on an animated series spin-off for TV for January 2011, is the real genius behind Dean Winchester's wit and witticisms.
None of us are as lucky as Dean Winchester--if everything we said was scripted, we'd never have to worry about sounding stupid, or missing an oppotunity to make a really good quip, or being stunned into silence when faced with an absurd reality. The trade-off is free will. We have the liberty to think and feel what we want, even if our mouths don't have that same option. But why don't we give our mouths that same life, liberty and justice? The answer is commodification.
That's right. No one who needs to earn wealth by self-commodification can afford to burn any social bridge. The people who can are usually in positions of power or strength through corporate sponsorship, like with a boss or supervisor in the workplace, or citizen sponsorship, like Hollywood celebrities, musicians, reality TV-stars, politicians, and congregation-dependent religious leaders.
I've talked about this before--how we become vulnerable through self-commodification, even though it's a necessity of 21st century life. And there's no definitive solution to such a problem, which is part of the reason why pop culture venues like Supernatural are so...well, popular. The best way to solve this kind of existentrial dilemma is through self-responsibility: Don't abuse people. It's the bottom line in Kripke's creation as well--the place where reality and fiction meet.
But many individuals, weakened by constant sacrifice throughout a lifetime, use any power gained--even just being a customer in a retail store--as a way to express their anger, frustration and disappointment. It's not fair. It's not just. And it's not right.
We all have to work hard to be better people each and every day. Once in a while, you might slip. Acknowledge it appropriately and move forward. But we simply can't continue to hurt others with (witting or unwitting) deliberation on our search for closure from the misery inherent in our own lives.
Sometimes, you might find yourself involved with an individual who just gets under your skin, meaning, for no apparent reason, you just don't like that person. Be mature enough to recognize that you are the problem in that instance and walk away.
Self-responsibility is all about mindfulness. With our enlarged egos, we sometimes believe we are better people than we actually are. If you halted introspection, even for a moment, than you may be in danger of losing perspective on others...and, yourself.
Though it would be wonderful to tell a deserving foe, or just some rude jerk in a mall parking lot, "Cram it with walnuts, Ugly," it's never right to abuse others. It's never right to hurt people--verbally, emotionally, or physically. To safely express your anger, disappointment or frustration, use a journal, make regular appointments to talk to a counselor or therapist, and/or begin putting that negative energy into hobbies like painting or gardening. Moderate physical excercise five days a week for 30 minutes a day (a brisk walk in your neighborhood would do it) is enough to help control the stress you may feel when less-mindful individuals forget about social decorum.
It can be difficult to continually be "the better person," especially if you receive hearty helpings of negatives within a short span of time, like the loss of a job, of a spouse, of a friend, a difficult health diagnosis, or dealing with a major transition, like a move to a new city. Ultimately, you're not doing it for anyone but yourself. By expressing your feelings in a constructive, non-critical way, you can live a healthier, better, more fulfilling life.
Everyone has a choice...everyone.
How many times have you wanted to say something similar? Be honest. Maybe not to one of God's angels...but then again....
It's healthy to express anger, disappointment, frustration--but in constructive ways. In ways that bring you closure but also, don't really hurt anyone. Shows like Supernatural fit the bill in such cases. The audience can vicariously be "heroes" through Sam and Dean...and through lines like, "Cram it with walnuts, Ugly...."
But when a TV show or movie or really great rock song doesn't cut it, how do you safely express your feelings without breaking social decorum?
It's an ironic question to ask--if YOU are feeling anger, frustration or disappointment, it's probably because another individual, or group of individuals, didn't care about appropriate social behaviors. Which is EXACTLY why we love characters like Dean Winchester so much; he has a mouth, and knows how to use it. But Eric Kripke, creator of the Supernatural concept, who is also working on an animated series spin-off for TV for January 2011, is the real genius behind Dean Winchester's wit and witticisms.
None of us are as lucky as Dean Winchester--if everything we said was scripted, we'd never have to worry about sounding stupid, or missing an oppotunity to make a really good quip, or being stunned into silence when faced with an absurd reality. The trade-off is free will. We have the liberty to think and feel what we want, even if our mouths don't have that same option. But why don't we give our mouths that same life, liberty and justice? The answer is commodification.
That's right. No one who needs to earn wealth by self-commodification can afford to burn any social bridge. The people who can are usually in positions of power or strength through corporate sponsorship, like with a boss or supervisor in the workplace, or citizen sponsorship, like Hollywood celebrities, musicians, reality TV-stars, politicians, and congregation-dependent religious leaders.
I've talked about this before--how we become vulnerable through self-commodification, even though it's a necessity of 21st century life. And there's no definitive solution to such a problem, which is part of the reason why pop culture venues like Supernatural are so...well, popular. The best way to solve this kind of existentrial dilemma is through self-responsibility: Don't abuse people. It's the bottom line in Kripke's creation as well--the place where reality and fiction meet.
But many individuals, weakened by constant sacrifice throughout a lifetime, use any power gained--even just being a customer in a retail store--as a way to express their anger, frustration and disappointment. It's not fair. It's not just. And it's not right.
We all have to work hard to be better people each and every day. Once in a while, you might slip. Acknowledge it appropriately and move forward. But we simply can't continue to hurt others with (witting or unwitting) deliberation on our search for closure from the misery inherent in our own lives.
Sometimes, you might find yourself involved with an individual who just gets under your skin, meaning, for no apparent reason, you just don't like that person. Be mature enough to recognize that you are the problem in that instance and walk away.
Self-responsibility is all about mindfulness. With our enlarged egos, we sometimes believe we are better people than we actually are. If you halted introspection, even for a moment, than you may be in danger of losing perspective on others...and, yourself.
Though it would be wonderful to tell a deserving foe, or just some rude jerk in a mall parking lot, "Cram it with walnuts, Ugly," it's never right to abuse others. It's never right to hurt people--verbally, emotionally, or physically. To safely express your anger, disappointment or frustration, use a journal, make regular appointments to talk to a counselor or therapist, and/or begin putting that negative energy into hobbies like painting or gardening. Moderate physical excercise five days a week for 30 minutes a day (a brisk walk in your neighborhood would do it) is enough to help control the stress you may feel when less-mindful individuals forget about social decorum.
It can be difficult to continually be "the better person," especially if you receive hearty helpings of negatives within a short span of time, like the loss of a job, of a spouse, of a friend, a difficult health diagnosis, or dealing with a major transition, like a move to a new city. Ultimately, you're not doing it for anyone but yourself. By expressing your feelings in a constructive, non-critical way, you can live a healthier, better, more fulfilling life.
Everyone has a choice...everyone.
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