Diamonds

It's time for another dip into the realm of my recurring thoughts (I know, I'm excited too) and I think this one is relevant to all age groups, genders, species, mammals etc. etc. So here we go...

Question: why do we have a human instinct to criticise others?

It seems to me that whatever anyone thinks, does, says, wears, there is always at least one person standing by their shoulder ready to belittle it. In a diverse world of many cultures, you'd think that by now this wouldn't be a problem and we'd all accept that each and every person has different interests, different likes and dislikes and different methods, but sadly not. I found a perfect example of this the other day when I asked my step-dad whether it irritates him that my mother always criticises his driving, his response; "Every driver criticises other drivers' methods" and when I asked why he said; "because it's not your own."

Because it's not your own.

Now is that really a reason to criticise something? Because it's not the way you choose to do something, because it's not your personal choice, does that mean it shouldn't be anyone else's? I'm not saying I'm not guilty of this too, boy I can give out peer-criticism, self-criticism, any-criticism by the barrel if I want to, but at least I'm aware it's wrong and try to contain it most of the time, which unfortunately cannot be said for most. Criticism transforms into a hobby for some, consuming their thoughts as they must comment on what an "ugly pair of shoes she's wearing" or how "weird his haircut is" just because it's something that you wouldn't think of choosing for yourself. I'm not going to wring out the already wrung towel of "be yourself, not what people expect you to be" or the classic "everyone is different", because I know, much like anti-smoking campaigns, people won't do something because they're told to, no matter how hard you push it, they will do it because they want to. So as perfect as it would be to live in a less-critical world I know it isn't possible and instead I would like to leave you with this:

Wise American jeweller, Harry Winston, once said; "no two diamonds are alike," (and he was pretty damn rich!)