Remedies of a Broken Soul

Society

I am a victim. You are a victim. We are all victims, but of what? One word, society. We constantly blame society, but who is society? Who are we really blaming? Ourselves. Everyone is so quick to point their finger to blame others, when they should really be pointing their finger at themselves. The Merriam-Webster definition of society is, "People in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, tradition, and values." It's kind of ironic, don't you think? The definition simply contradicts how society really is. What shared values and traditions do we contain when all we do is judge and hurt one another?

Why is a 12 year old girl starving herself? Why is a 17 year old boy jumping off a bridge? Why are so many teens cutting themselves, overdosing, and committing suicide? Statistics show that in 2013, 17% of teens reported seriously considering suicide. 8% made actual attempts. In the United States alone, about 15 in every 100,000 kids will die by suicide, making suicide the third leading death cause.

When a young girl who attempted to take her own like was asked if she really wanted to die her response was, "No one commits suicide because they want to die. They want to stop the pain." Another person said, "Nothing in my life has ever made me want to commit suicide more than people's reactions to my trying to commit suicide." A young boy said, "I didn't want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that's really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you're so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare."

It's sad that girls and boys are killing themselves because they feel like they're not good enough. It's sad that veterans are killing themselves because they can't stop the war that's going on in their minds. It's sad people are ending their lives because no one accepts them for who they are. One too many people are unhappy. One too many people are lonely. One too many people hate themselves. One too many people want to die, and it's not right. 

Society says every life is valuable and important, yet it only praises the rich, famous, pretty, and popular. It's sad that we as a society only value one's life once it's gone. Society says it's important to be yourself, but when you do, they say not like that. Society says imperfections are what make you perfect, but then we go and tear each other apart because of them. Society says you're too skinny. Society says you're too fat. Society says you're too tall. Society says you're too short. Society says you're too light. Society says you're too dark. Instead of tearing each other down, we should be helping build one another back up. 

I'm not going to stand up here and pretend to be perfect. I'm not going to stand up here and say I've never judged a single soul. We have all made mistakes. We have all at least once helped someone fall down. We have all been that person who came crumbling down. The important thing is to realize the harm we are doing and to stop. We need to come together and end the never ending cycle. Celebrities like Demi Lovato, Tyra Banks, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake have spoken out against bullying. They have been victims of society, but are now using fame to better society and spread awareness about this serious matter. 

We blame society, yet we are society, and the only way to change society is to change ourselves. We have a choice everyday; whether to be mean or nice, to judge someone or to accept them, to hate or to love. We all have the choice to listen to other's cries for help and to be their shoulder to cry on or to turn away and pretend they don't exist.

We live in a beautiful world, but it is overflowing with ugly people. We need more love, positivity, and acceptance in our society. They say to be the change you want to see in the world, so instead of just saying that you'll change, actually do it. Words mean nothing if they aren't backed up by actions. So be kind. Be positive. Be accepting. Be gold. We are all just innocent souls scarred by our surroundings. Stop letting society scar you. I am done being a victim. I am ready to start making the right choices. I am ready to start acting instead of just talking. Are you? We blame society. We ARE society!