Fall Of Fools

I experimented with inappropriate behaviour once again yesterday (precise details are to be kept esoteric). For that, I reverted back to a state where my maturity was closer to that of a 7 year old, and regret acting out in a ridiculous manner. Regardless of whether we should still be allowed to act like children every now and then – to which I firmly believe we should at least have the opportunity to do until we turn 18 – I overstepped the mark in terms of what was acceptable around the streets of London. Really, I don’t look at other people I already know, and think what they did was out of order, because they didn’t cause damage to public property or anything like that. Normally, people are harsher on themselves than they could possibly be with anybody else, and in the same train of thought, people are angrier with themselves than others would be with them. Unless they lack a sense of shame.

If you are/were an adult walking down the road, and encountered a group of young people where the odd person was being the bit of a nuisance, you may cast an eye of disapproval upon the entire set of youths. Basically, you can only make a snap decision about what this group of people is like without knowing all the facts; they are strangers to you, after all. Such judgement is unfair to the innocents, who continue to behave as suitably as society dictates. The worst thing for one of the “show ups” is when they realise they aren’t only embarrassing themselves, but all the people they care about too.

Males are a hundred times more likely to get caught conducting oneself in a manner deemed deplorable by most. Over antecedent eras of time, the difference between male and female misconduct has declined conspicuously, and in some areas of the UK (predominantly London), the probabilities of finding either a young man or woman acting like a lout could very well be even. I know that the main reasons I tend to invariably wreak pointless havoc are through boredom and frustration. But that is no excuse, nor does it provide justification for the deeds.

I am not the violent type, and I never intend to do damage to people or things deliberately. I readily admit to being clumsy, and injury-prone, which allows accidents to happen easily. Well, you also get those who go out of their way to inflict injury on others; an issue that has, in my eyes, augmented since the ban of smacking children. If that hadn’t been outlawed, shows like Supernanny would never have aired (or would have seen a greatly reduced number of episodes every series), and hardly anyone would acknowledge the name Jo Frost. To amplify the preference more and more young people have to uncivil disobedience is its prevalence in celebrity culture; people like the *cough* glorious Lily Allen have been reprimanded for assaulting members of the press. Reactions like that shouldn’t be tolerated.

And yet they are.

I may certainly bemoan my stupidity at times, but what I want most is for the younger generation to grow up, not falling into the trap of a world where they feel it is their duty to disrespect their elders and existing laws. Hearing children as young as 4 use the word “fuck” on a daily basis cannot lead to something positive.

Legalise disciplinarian-styled smacking of children. In the long term, it does more good than harm.