Isolationism

Isolationism isn't just a political philosophy, it's a way of life.

More and more people seem to be embracing it.  I think it might have something to do with the way we (as in, my generation) have raised our kids. We have convinced them that they are "special" and "unique," and "deserve" to have everything their way.  So many things can be tailored to individual tastes these days...and I'm not sure it's a Good Thing.

No, I'm not mourning the days when everyone got their wardrobe from the Sears catalogue, and there were only three channels on the TV.  I am nostalgic for Community with a capital C.

I saw an article this morning asking, "Is fragrance today's second-hand smoke?"  I've always complained about people loaded up with so much perfume that you can smell them half a block before they arrive, and five minutes after they leave.  Complained about it.  Not attempted to get it declared a health hazard and thus, illegal.  I know it can be unpleasant.  I know it can aggravate your asthma.  My point is that you should not expect the rest of the world to curb its behaviour to accommodate your asthma or your sense of "good taste."

When I was a kid, the pop radio station I listened to played old rock, new rock, rhythm and blues, soul, folk, country, calypso (look it up), and jazz.  Nowadays, you pick a genre, and there's a station that plays only that type of music.  Hell, you can even make your own radio station, where some computer algorithm selects music it thinks you will like, based on what you've told it you like.  Keep that up, and eventually, you won't hear anything new and exciting...just the same old same old, round and round.

Don't get me started on walking around with earbuds in all the time.  Shutting yourself off from the sounds of the world around you can be detrimental to your mental and physical health.  Especially if you're out jogging, and car horns and approaching footsteps are drowned out by your dubstep.

If we are going to ban second-hand smoke and fragrance, can we take a crack at diesel exhaust?  That stuff smells worth than "three dollars worth of that bathroom Polo."  While we are at it, perhaps there should be a ban on pooping in a public toilet...that smells pretty bad, too.

We are attempting to tailor the world to our own individual tastes.

"I don't like perfume, so you shouldn't wear it near me."
"I don't like rap, so you shouldn't play it where I can hear it."
"I'm teaching my children to sit still, so you shouldn't let yours run around shrieking."

In my (possibly) humble opinion, the world is a better place for its diversity, and we will all be better people when we can bend a little and accept what it has to offer, rather than trying to remake it in our own image.