A One Way Street

So as we were watching Castle the other night, a new character was introduced who is a "Fruitarian," which is apparently someone who only eats fruits and grains ("Man's original diet, as God intended", so he says). Anyway, the way the interactions with this character went is that whenever he was there, they accommodated this diet of his. He made his stuff and offered it freely, whether anyone else was interested in having it or not.

It got me to thinking about how these sorts of relationships are depicted in movies and TV. When someone decides they are restricted to one type of food or they leave off one food group, it is not only them, but they tend to take everyone around them with them for the ride. Since they don't eat meat, for example, now no one around them can eat meat so no one is offended. Everyone also seems ok with this. Extending this attitude past just food, anytime someone is out of the perceived norm, everyone starts basically walking on eggshells around them so as to not offend.

Exactly when did this become the expectation? If our fruitarian character doesn't want meat for some kind of personal moral reason, why should his values extend to everyone else in the room? Our country is supposedly founded upon the principles of free thought, enabling everyone to go their own way. Yet, whenever someone enters the room who isn't with the grain, there is suddenly accommodation and tiptoeing to make sure no one gets hurt by opinions they disagree with.

Honestly, if Castle wanted a real steak instead of a papaya steak (I guess that's a real thing), he should be allowed to have one without the fruity character taking offense to it. The same goes for every other difference people have. Unless there is a legitimate health issue involved with practicing some sort of freedom around another (usually dealing with allegies and nuts), then no one should be restricted from doing something just because someone else in the room disagrees with it.

The world is ripe with people who disagree over this or that, and yet, we seem very bent on insisting that everyone agree. Getting along is not a prerequisite to life, believe it or not. If I can player a shooter without adverse mental problems, and you don't like shooter games because they're violent, then don't play them but don't expect me to stop. Same with all types of movies. Some like the violence, some like the bad comedy, some like the romance, and in all cases, there are others who don't. No one should lose one for the sake of the other. If you don't like it, then don't worry about it.

But too many people out there are a one way street with their opinion in that if you aren't doing it their way, you are doing it wrong. The world is more like the center grassy area of a school campus between classes. Everyone is going every direction possible, and no one is tripping over anyone else. Well, sometimes they do, but they get back up and move on. There are some laws and rules that are not to be broken for the benefit of all society, but when it comes to pure opinions (and you can probably think of more than a few), everyone needs to do their thing and leave others to their things.

It is the difference of opinions that gives us the cornucopia of ideas that drives innovation forward. Someone thinks of this which inspires someone else to to do that. If not for our differences, the two would do the same thing and no one would move past it. Differences are good.

The one way street only leads to stagnation. Maybe that works for some people, but not for me. And that's my opinion.