"I react, therefore I am." I have been aware of hyper reactive people around me and turns out, most people react to most things. There is a variation ofcourse. Different time frames, different circumstances produce different results. I am not here to get into why people react differently( or similarly for all I care), when faced with certain similar circumstances. But really, sensitivity is overrated, to a point where we have become de sensitized to things that should really shock us. As a consumer, I am sensitive to how I am treated when I pick up my phone and call a 1800 number to the customer service department of my water heater. I take offence if I am not addressed, if I am not asked if there was something else I needed.. get the drift? And yet all it takes is a 'tsk tsk' at a news article about a plane crash killing 100 people, before I shun it out of my mind.
Men reacting to women, women reacting to men..those meaningless glances thrown around in a subway, women making sure their hair is all in place. Men looking at their shoes. It's funny, when you observe it. And the things that trigger those responses!
That was just the pretty part of it. How about this over sensitivity, an inherent need to be in the limelight, becoming dangerous? If I can spend a good part of my day trying to plot things in my head about how to get rid of people I consider inferior because of their color/race/regionality/accent etc, I would be really bitter and not very pleasant to be around. Thank God, I keep myself busy. I always thought people who go out on the streets and protest must be really bored. I wouldnt want to be walking in sub zero temperature shouting slogans because I am upset over people coming to my city and making a living for themselves. I think that's absurd.
Now, in North America, there is a very common term that is used almost on a daily basis, "I shall sue you". Where I come from, suing is a different ball game altogether. It conjures pictures of long lasting lawsuits. Not so much here in the Americas. This is the perfect haven for over sensitive people. Your dog barks a lot, I shall sue you. I can hear you snore, I shall sue you. I don't like what you have done to your garden as it spoils my landscaping, I shall sue you. I tripped and fell outside your house, I shall sue you. Damn you, you got a free pizza, I shall sue you.. Know what I am getting at? So anything that is a matter of slight inconvenience to me and interferes with my 'lifestyle' which basically includes every darn thing that you do around me, I am going to take you to the court and we will settle it there. In my country, you simply suck it up and make adjustments. So here is a scenario for you to relish. I am walking down on yonge street and a bum starts pestering me, shouting obscenities at me, something you wouldn't dare say in front of your mother, I turn around to give him a piece of my mind, it suddenly turns into a lawsuit against me alleging verbal abuse and defamation... huh? Yeah that's right. So what I have here, is a hyper sensitive bum and a lawsuit. This did not really happen, but I am sure this is quite possible.
Uh oh, just heard my neighbour shout out," It's bloody 9pm, when will you turn those fu***** lights off"... Sigh!